M aria ’ s ▁sculpt ure ▁began ▁to ▁carry ▁a ▁whole ▁legend ▁on ▁its ▁shoulders , ▁a ▁legend ▁that ▁was ▁nothing ▁less ▁than ▁the ▁Amazon ▁itself . ▁S cul pt ure ▁gar land ed , ▁like ▁the ▁Amazon ’ s ▁own ▁waters , ▁with ▁tropical ▁cre ep ers . ▁This ▁legend ▁sang ▁in ▁those ▁works ▁of ▁hers ▁which ▁I ▁had ▁the ▁chance ▁to ▁see ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁adm ired ▁so ▁greatly . ▁Just ▁as ▁it ▁sang ▁with ▁all ▁its ▁imm em orial ▁voices ▁man ’ s ▁passion ▁from ▁birth ▁to ▁death , ▁re - created ▁in ▁symbols ▁of ▁un par alle led ▁dens eness ▁by ▁the ▁Indian ▁tribes ▁which ▁have ▁succeeded ▁each ▁other ▁along ▁those ▁tre acher ous ▁banks . ▁In ▁her ▁bron zes ... M aria ▁has ▁succeeded ▁mar vel ously ▁in ▁capt uring ▁at ▁their ▁primitive ▁source ▁not ▁only ▁an gu ish , ▁tempt ation ▁and ▁fe ver , ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁sun r ise , ▁happiness ▁and ▁calm , ▁and ▁even ▁occasionally ▁pure ▁delight ; ▁she ▁is ▁the ▁em an ation ▁of ▁all ▁these ▁things , ▁all ▁these ▁wings ▁and ▁flowers . ▁Maria ▁ow es ▁nothing ▁to ▁the ▁sculpt ure ▁of ▁the ▁past ▁or ▁the ▁present — she ▁is ▁far ▁too ▁sure , ▁for ▁that , ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁rh ythm ▁which ▁is ▁increasing ly ▁lack ing ▁in ▁modern ▁sculpt ure ; ▁she ▁is ▁pro dig al ▁with ▁what ▁the ▁Amazon ▁has ▁given ▁her — the ▁over wh el ming ▁abund ance ▁of