Lisa Gordon

Events

“The horse is the figure through which I actualize my ideas. It becomes a tangible bridge between the viewer and me.” - Lisa Gordon

Born and raised in Southern California, Lisa Gordon now lives and works in Sante Fe, New Mexico. As a teen, she rode, cared for, and trained horses. Those treasured memories and her deeply-rooted love for horses are reflected in her bronze sculptures.  

Gordon received her MFA from California State University, Fullerton, in 1992. During her education, she developed a passion for bronze casting. The connection between the casting process and her fondness for horses is clearly seen in her powerful, yet sensitive sculptures. For her, the relationship that she develops with a horse while grooming and bonding through touch, mirrors the feeling of running her fingers over wax as it warms and molds into muscles and gestures that evolve into a horse’s form and in turn into a sculpture. 

Breathing new life into a historical subject, Gordon’s sculptures show horses balanced on spheres, walking through hoops, straddling pedestals, swaying on rockers, or bouncing on springs. These powerful creatures in whimsical scenes are a metaphor for the human experience, demonstrating the balance between having fun and giving life purpose. In her words, “Horses are powerful, but that’s not what they need in a situation of precarious balance. They’re massive, physical beings, but there’s a frailty and delicacy of the legs—much like the human soul.”