Lou Fitzsimmons

There are other sculptures and visual artists who inspire me, however I think my biggest inspirations are artists of other disciplines, and places and objects of the world.

The folk singer Townes Van Zandt inspires me and my work greatly. The songs are melancholic, beautiful and perfectly crafted. Often taking a form more similar to a poem or story. The songs are something that I have loved for years and their impact is sometimes a tangible feeling in my heart. Writing and books are also a form that I find inspiration in. A specific example that comes to mind is Salvation on Sand Mountain by Dennis Covington. It has these beautiful passages about the religious practices and experiences of the snake handlers in the Appalachian mountains.

Inspirations from my life experience and experiences of the world, is often the experience of being on foot and looking for small things in a big landscape, collecting forgotten or previously unseen objects and treasures. These objects could be a twisted nail with added layers and textures of rust, or a beautiful piece of cloth in an antique store. It is in the specialness of that discovery and tiny beauties, the way that metal rusts, or the way something “man-mad” returns to the earth whether that is through decomposition, adaptation, or overgrowth.

Some of these inspirations I expect to change and adapt but some I expect to continue and be with me and inspire me for a while.