Hib Sabin has been creating art since 1957, using juniper wood as his primary medium for the past thirty years. His woodcarvings draw inspiration from number of disciplines and traditions, from the shamanic rituals of American indigenous people to modern poetry by Leonard Cohen and Ted Hughes. The Other Side of Silence, the Far Side of Time gathers one hundred fifty color photos of Sabin's singular sculptures, as well as a number of bronze castings created from these carvings. The book's structure follows the multipart journey of Sabin's life and art. His early woodwork style referenced the animal-focused implements of First Nations shamanism--healing wands, talking sticks, and masks--before gradually expanding to take in global mythologies and the poetry and philosophy of the twentieth century. An introductory essay from curator Sarra Scherb rounds off this comprehensive showcase of Sabin's simultaneously ancient and contemporary aesthetic.
Hib Sabin earned an MFA in art history from the University of Pittsburgh and taught at Franklin and Marshall College and Dickinson College. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sarra Scherb is assistant curator of the Stonington Gallery.