November 2020 - Inspiration is artist Zachary Oxman’s sculptural homage to another form of creative expression: the written word. “Words have power. They persuade, inform and convey the full range of human emotion.” In those few words, Oxman describes the essence of this large-scale, complex work, which stands 18 ft. high and weighs about 8,000 lbs. Nearly a year in the making, Inspiration showcases three notions: the writer (the fedora-wearing, 1940s-era reporter deep in thought), his tools (a notepad and typewriter), and his craft (the written word unfurled in newsprint coming off the press). Oxman used the lost-wax casting method for the sculpture’s figure, keys, typewriter return arm, plus for the letters and numbers on the typewriter’s strikers. The remainder of the piece was fabricated. Inspiration was commissioned by the Northwest Indiana Times newspaper, based in Munster, Indiana.

Photo: Zachary Oxman