Ted Schnack Jr. Bronze Sculpture
Savannah Sizzle Seven
Cheetahs are built for speed and attack with an undeniable grace, balance, focus and fluid motion and intensity unlike any other animal. Light frames and lightly muscled, sinew and tendon, trim sheaths of dense fast twitch muscle, they are stripped down for raw acceleration and sizzling speeds. They are a demonstration of intense poetry of movement, from subtle soft footed stride, to blurring speed. Legs, tails and body are used as rudders and counter balances to make blinding quick changes moves as the grounds speeds by at 60 mph plus while always in perfect balance. Their prey knows in a straight drag race they lose every time. In a run for their lives they dodge and bolt, throwing themselves and their attackers into some extreme positions hoping they can outlast the Cheetahs short intense attack. It is a wonder to behold and their lives depend on this deadly dance.
I love the unknown journey of art, not knowing quite how this was all going to play out when I threw myself into it. I think I will reflect back as my life moves forward knowing this could be the strongest wildlife piece in my lifetime. There really is little to no reference used in the compositions. When I decided to string 7 "stop actions" together I referred to the three I had sculpted as stand alone pieces, #1 "Smooth Operator", #3 "Savannah Sizzle" and #5 "Speed Bump". Sculpting those pieces taught me what I needed to know and the eagerness and unquenched fascination for cheetahs as I went at the set of seven. I knew in this orchestration of movement, balance, energy, momentum, the laws of physics and the cheetahs natural split second reactions to the action at hand getting just one thing wrong could spoil the whole symphony. I knew it needed to ring clear and true to the wild world and the drama at hand.
#1 Smooth operator
In midstride the cheetah's eye is caught by something interesting. Game in a spot that gives it a chance.
#2 "The Need for Speed"
The intensity and focus are full, loose and light, the spring is tightening, tension building for when the rocket blasts off.
#3 "Savannah Sizzle"
Game on! Flat out speed. Any stealth or deception is gone all intentions clear, to kill or get away.
#4 "Whiplash"
The gazelle knows is a flat out race its game over, the cheetah just has to much raw speed. In a run for its life it dodges and cuts hoping to string the run out to test the short burst endurance of the cheetah.
#5 "Speed Bump"
The Cheetah just gets a paw on the gazelle giving it a bump. The dynamics and speed of the gazelle so quick is just can take a nudge to blow its strides and balance apart sending is crashing to the speeding ground. The whole piece is suspended except a single back leg of the Cheetah.
#6 "Whip Crack"
The crash! The gazelle following the same quick track from "Speed Bump" crashes to the ground at full speed. The cheetah throws on the brakes and its limber body bundles up to kill the heavy momentum, the tail acts a counter balance and foil to kill speed, still hyper focused on the gazelle.
#7 "Gold Medalist"
The Gold Medal winner. The Cheetah sits proudly in quiet and dignified profile with fresh game at its feet. It has won this time.
