It is impossible to separate the man from the sculpture.
Fully immersed in an epic project for 22 years of his life, Professor Steven Dolbin has forged a totem of mammoth proportion, “River Spirit.”
The larger-than-life work stands like a modern-day Colossus standing watch over the property near the Cumberland/Franklin county line that he and his wife, Robin, call home. Imagination has been the key component at work for Dolbin as he is accustomed to creating outsized treasures from concrete, stainless steel and found objects. As the former head of the art department at Shippensburg University, Dolbin has forgone teaching summer classes for the past number of years to exclusively devote his time to the completion of “River Spirit.” After two decades, the sculpture has taken on a life of its own.
In creating “River Spirit,” Dolbin was driven onward by ancestry and ideology, providing a historical timeline with its indigenous iconography stemming from all corners of the world. Stepping back to the dawn of time, humans were but one tribe, scattered by the winds, coming to settle and survive in separate subgroups across the globe, continent by continent, region by region, creating distinct nationalities.
“River Spirit” embodies those journeys in size, shape and scope.
Weighing in at about 7,000 pounds, standing 12-feet tall, 37-feet long and 5-feet across, the sculpture’s sheer physical presence is awe-inspiring. Humbled by this magnitude, one realizes that mortal man is but a speck. “River Spirit” defies description as it is of the elements combining earth, wind, fire and water.
Dolbin continues to fine-tune his masterpiece as it moves towards its final home. His wife echoes that goal, having taken the journey with him in every way imaginable. It has been a team effort together on their archetypal quest.
“River Spirit,” originally financed by an art patron from Harrisburg nearly 30 years ago, was to find its way to the City Government Center, championed by then-Mayor Reed to become the gatekeeper of Riverfront Park. Today, Negley Park is an option, as is High Point, part of Native Land Heritage Park in York. As massive as it is, it would be a lasting treasure in the Pennsylvania State Museum for all to share in its beauty. Hand-hammered, forged and hewn by Dolbin, it is a personal vision and dream that needs to be seen by visitors far and wide.
“River Spirit” is a story of all nations and all peoples. The sculpture is part raven, part whale—a shadowing shape-shifter in its malleable form. And like its many parts, the whole is greater than anyone could imagine. Embedded in the stainless steel structure are sacred images of various cultures, tribal wisdom and tributes to original cave paintings.
“There’s no perfection as imperfection illustrates true beauty within and without,” Professor Dolbin shared.
One marvels at the underlying theme of life’s circuitous route. It tells the tale of evolution, permutation and transcendence, triumphant over the obstacles often associated with the journey taken over a lifetime.
In the end, no matter where “River Spirit” finds its home, the question that echoes down through eternity is—what I have made, will it endure? Professor Dolbin can rest assured as “River Spirit” exists outside of time, forever in the firmament amidst great works of art.
Contact the artist via Instagram @stevendolbin or Steve Dolbin on Facebook.
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