A common plant in the Mediterranean, the acanthus became a staple of classical ornament, frequently stylized in the process. Here, Dimitrios restores its natural presence in a free standing sculpture in walnut for one of his studio showpieces. The purpose is to remind his students of the natural roots of classical ornament. The word acanthus means spine, in greek, and refers to the spiny needles at the end of every acanthus leaf. The story is that the first architect to use the acanthus in a column capital, the Corinthian, saw the plant sprout in a cemetery from what had been a basket of last years flowers, left by mourners. By doing so, he referenced the eternal wellspring of life.
