"Redefining Movement" 5/4/08

Well folks, here are the photos as promised. An undulating sculpture ala Calder. The installation went well and although not sparkly, loud, messy or otherwise obtrusive, I believe it achieved the goal of demonstrating an undulating movement during our final show (Redefining Movement- A Sculptural Experience, May 4 2008).

We'll see how it does academically. Just as a review here is the Final Assignment instructions (click to read the instructions) . Please scroll down through the blog and compare the video "Learning to Dolphin Kick" with the images that I have here. As an object of assistance, the approach I ultimately took is to teach the first step of visualization. That is to say, to visualize a wave-like movement, which the body can replicate. I would really like to get some input back on what people think about this project. For the time being this is my conceptual, Zen statement on learning the movement of the dolphin kick.

Final Sculpture Project

I will post some pictures of the final project a bit later. At least it is finished and installed, after three failed attemps/design revisions.

The final project is about designing something to enhance or inhibit a movement which we described in an earlier project. My movement was learning how to dolphin kick. I wrote a brief decription with instructions on how to accomplish this swim stroke. The first step to learning this movement, however, begins by envisioning an undulating ripple or wave. Then you have to apply the idea of that motion to moving your body in a similar fashion underwater.

In an effort to help the viewer understand this rippling motion I have created a mobile which undulates from side to side. By standing below it and watching the movement of its nine rectangular, vertically hung panels, the viewer gets a sense of how the body must move horizontally through the water. The spaces between each panel represent each of the major joints involved in accomplishing this movement (wrist, elbow, shoulder, lower back, hips, knees and ankles).

Originally the sculpture was going to involve many components ala Ned Kahn's designs. Due to a challenge with the US Postal system, I didn't receive the holographic sequins in time to complete the sculpture as originally intended, so I tried it with just its hardware cloth form but it wouldn't move becuase there wasn't enough surface area to catch an aircurrents. Then, there were issues with hanging/balance. So I got a shimmering antique silver(more of a taupe) ripstop nylon cloth and made covers for each of the panels and switched all the mechanics to black.

The completed sculpture is hanging in the foyer to Harder Hall just above the main doors. It is by far and away one of the most simple and yet elegant things I have made in a while. No flash, no sparkle, just a gentle, undulating mobile; an undulating reminder to help the curious move more naturally through the water, just like a dolphin.

Solutions in Progress

I went back and studied the videos of Ned's work and realized that basically he had a net(work) that supports all of the individual metal or plastic plates. Since I am working much smaller, I realized (I believe), I can acheive the same effect by using hardware cloth with 10mm sequins suspended inside each of the squares. I will cut the cloth to the shape of my dolphin kicking figure, and because this is hardware cloth, the overall structure will be much lighter than if I had tried to make it out of wood and used the Reflecto-Lite system (or similar style with finish nails and sequins).

Now the next step is getting all of the pieces together without a car...Hopefully someone will respond to my calls. If not I will be empty-handed in class.

Final Sculpture Challenges

Although I have not heard back from Ned Kuhn Studios, I have been searching the internet for an alternative to his metal plates to create my final sulptural piece. I have only found one company which makes the shimmering effect used on large billboards and signs. Reflecto-lite is located in Canada and they haven't been answering their phones since last week. They seem to be the only source for the shimmering discs. Their system, however costs $20.40 per square foot; that's before shipping. Ok back to the drawing board.

The other challenge I am facing, besides time, is weight. If the mobile piece I am trying to create is life size (this would be ideal) there is a logistical nightmare in trying to rig (suspend) the work if I am dealing in wood and metal. There has to be another way to create this piece.

After coming across this image and the last video, I believe I can combine these two ideas into a single work which should demonstrate the idea of an undulating body form. Getting the idea of the movement firmly established in the mind is the first step to successfully completing this challenginging style of swimming.

Proposed Sculptural Installation

As part of my bronze assignment, we were instructed to make a miniature of a monument that we would like to see installed in the Alfred area. Since coming to AU, I have come to realize that Harder Hall (the art building) is a place that has given me a true sense of artistic freedom. With wings being a symbol for freedom, I thought I would create a monument based on a stylized idea of flight.

The photo seen here is a Photoshop combination of the actual monument location (Harder Hall), the bronze (the actual piece used in the photograph is approx. 16" tall-the finished bronze would be 72" tall). The glass feathers will be cast glass, faceted and polished, with the longest feather being approximately four feet long.

My hope is this piece will inspire and motivate other students to give their imagination wings and being willing to explore their own potential during their time in Harder Hall.

Transforming Aurora

As I have said before, I am very interested in trans formative works of art. In my Video art class, I created this piece starting from some simple video static which was run through a Sandine processor and the replicated 8 times in Final Cut Pro. I used a keying process to take out various portions of each frame to be able to see the frame below. I made two versions of this process and then combined them through a Maximus P Jitter patch (with the help of my friend Devin Henry). Then I took this image back into Final Cut Pro, slowing down the visual speed, creating a rotating path, modifying it with motion blurs, skews and enlargements. My intention with this piece is to create a moving painting. Hopefully, this piece and others like it will become part of my overall work when I project these video images both onto painted sculpture as well as illuminating sculptures from within. This is definitely a work in progress.

Although this is a very abstract work, I believe if you look at it as you would passing clouds, you will see many different images appear. Give it a try and let me know what you see. I am interested viewer response to my work.

Challenged by Murphy

Well, frustration has certainly set in. I have spent the last week sculpting a stylized wing form in foam as part of a bronze casting project. I organized a late night blow time (11pm tonight) with a fellow glass worker so I could create the glass feathers and the egg for my sculpture. Yesterday, I tried to start the molding process to create a wax copy of the foam positive only to discover I didn't have enough clay on hand and the Clay store is only open Monday - Friday. How could I be so off in my planning? So today, I went in and worked with old clay to soften it and get it ready for the first step. Just as I was finishing this step, one of the other students also at the same step discovered we didn't have any plaster. He gave up in frustration and left.

Stopping what I was doing, I went off in pursuit of plaster. First one store and then the next is closed, only then do I realize, 'Duh, its Easter Sunday!' Nothing is open...except for Walmart! Off to Wallyworld and I bought the last two containers of crafting plaster.

Back at school, I discover that this crafting plaster sets up much faster than what I am used to and its a mad scramble to get it into the form before it completely hardens up. An hour later I flip the form, peel away the clay bed around my foam, coat everything with vaseline/oil and start to mix the plaster only to find I don't have enough material. A quick panic call and a ceramics friend shares his stash of plaster and I'm back in business.

After everything sets up, I take away the forms only to discover that the oil didn't work and the plaster has adhered to the first pour and now my foam form is totally encased in a block of plaster. I contemplate the pleasure of hurling the whole mess against the far wall...Instead I cancelled the glass slot because I needed the positive for the glass working. Class starts in 16 hours and I don't know what to do. Damn that Irishman, Murphy!