Art Talk: Heloise Crista

It is time for another artist highlight.

Recently, I was reacquainted with a great artist- Heloise Crista

I had seen her work years and years ago and last week I got to see it again!

Heloise's sculptures have beautiful movement. Above you see the man and woman entwined together as they gracefully fly through the air. Below a young girl spinning.

Heloise Crista
Mirage, 2004
Taliesin West, Phoenix, AZ

Heloise was born in Japan in 1926. She came to America to attend school at the University of California. She moved to Arizona in 1949 to live and work at Taliesin West. She studied dance and made costumes for performances. While living and working with the Taliesin Fellowship she started work in sculpture.

It is said that her first bronze was this one of Frank Lloyd Wright. Wow, that would be very impressive if this was her first bronze.

I grew up with a father that was a sculpture and worked in bronze and think that I might be more drawn to them than some people that visit this home. I was the only person taking pictures of the bronzes.

Heloise has quite a few patina bronzes.


Night and Day	Rapunzel	Presence of Mind

I really like this one of a mother and child. If you have been following Art Talk for awhile you will know that Mother and Daughter are a theme I like and have highlighted in the past.

Affirmation, 1994

Heloise continued to live at Taliesin throughout her life and died there in 2018.

I really like how the sculptures are in the round and you see something new from every angle.

Heloise Crista
Being in the Moment, 2002
Taliesin West, Phoenix, AZ

Heloise Crista
Coming into the Present, 2002
Taliesin West, Phoenix, AZ

I am quite impressed with Heloise and how she worked in bronze as early as the 1950s. My dad started working with bronze in the 1970s. It is a physically demanding medium, especially in the hot Arizona desert.

There is a garden area that has other sculptures of Heloise's in the Phoenix Area that I would like to visit and see more of her work.

Sources:
Heloise Crista Sculptures
Heloise Sculptures
Heloise Crista, Acclaimed sculpture...