Life and Bronze

Part history, part autobiography, part story of a sculptor’s craft, this book about Ruth Abernethy’s career shows what the public chooses to commemorate, what a sculptor wishes to express and how it all fits around the creation of family life.

Ruth uses droll humour to expand on many themes, and outlines her public sculptures from first conversation to installation. Her portraits have also eased the grief of clients’ loss and she tells each of these stories within the context of family life. Through Ruth’s endeavours, the reader meets prime ministers, musicians, doctors, athletes, theatre people and publishers heck, even a huge bear. Most significantly, however, the reader also meets the people who care about history, sculpture and commemoration.Part history, part autobiography, part story of a sculptor’s craft, this book about Ruth Abernethy’s career shows what the public chooses to commemorate, what a sculptor wishes to express and how it all fits around the creation of family life.

Reviews / Testimonials:

For any Canadian. Ruth Abernethy is a singular chronicler of our nation’s history. embodied in its most notable citizens and heroes. Her work palpably expresses our feelings for the great Canadians who shaped our history, our sense of ourselves as a people and our national psyche.

Just as the late Yousuf Karsh was able to translate a monumental sense of emotion and identity into microscopic particles of silver halide, so Ruth has the mysterious gift of infusing bronze with an arrestingly corporeal sense of identity, personality and vitality. Bronze is her matter, and she invariably gets to the heart of it..

It is a matter of constant pride for The Glenn Gould Foundation that Ruth has brought the intensity of her vision to our namesake. Glenn Gould, and depicted this great artist twice in such powerful, memorable and iconic ways
—Brian M Levine, Executive Director, The Glenn Gould Foundation