Form and Function: October 2022

10.24.2022

Laying Out Plans:

Found objects-

Looking for: chains (to hang)

9.27.2022

To Hang:

2. Sudenkorento

Attempting to translate some ideas which I have held onto from Finland. I was visited by many angels in that strange land. Insects played a large role, and I have found through a bit of small-time research how heavily induced insects are with symbolism or omens and the like. I am not necessarily trying to jump on the bandwagon of symbolism, but I do need to pay my respects to the messengers.

Angel, (Angelo) - Messenger

In Finland, there were thousands of dragonflies. It was mating season, and with a brief walk around the lake nearby you would have several insects land on you. They would fly around at mega-speed, in such a population they were as obnoxious as flies. Almost unnatural, but it was also this grand cycle of nature that was completely awing.

Many times over I fell in love with the other residents, and the sculptures I have made so far have come to exist as a sort of resemblance of one person or another. So I have this sort of aspect in mind when designing this piece, and am thinking of my friend Sharone. https://www.artbysharone.com

I'd like to fabricate a form from steel rod, loosely relating to the wings of the insects. This fabricated form I will weld onto a stand which I will also fabricate. (This stand may be worth casting in bronze.) The stand/platform is the component of the sculpture I would like to hang from the ceiling, with no visible points of connection. I am thinking it may be possible to do this with a keyhole hanging method, which is just inside the interior of the hollowed form of the stand.

I am incredibly motivated by Brancusi's stands and pedestals, which I think he often interchanged among his sculpture without any thresholds. His self-carved stands were works in of themselves until utilized as a pedestal. I would like to attempt to physically inverse this subject, so it is a pedestal from the ceiling, from which my sculpture hangs.

I don't think I will really be able to pull off such a 'clean-cut' chic language as Brancusi does because I will be working with metal. But there is a joining of sculpture and stand becoming one, this is the important pursuit in my attempt here. *I do need to revisit the form I wish to employ.

Steel- I would fabricate the stand, then weld my steel structure directly

Bronze- I would cast the stand, then weld my steel structure directly

I will likely pursue texture on the steel rod structure. I do not want steel rod to be my visual language. I want to disguise it.

This particular piece is rooted in a woven textile, which I have previously applied gesso to and handsewn another found textile. (Image below.)

I was hell-bent on having this work include this textile, but truthfully this is not necessary. The important part is that this textile has spawned new ideas for this work to further be developed. This progression can be seen in the sketches below.

I do still have a slight inclination to include this textile somehow as the 'body' of the insect. I am interested in bunching this textile up into a packed form, where wrinkles, layers, and wraps would play a role. If I textured this component of the sculpture similarly to the steel rod, I think it could be very fluent.

The aspect I am caught with at the moment is scale. I believe the steel structure would be most itself as quite a small sculpture, but the textile is not small, so if included compromises will need to be made.

I could see making the steel structure quite large, but I do not think it is necessary. I want to make a cute, raw, small sculpture that I can quietly pocket on the ceiling.

Woven Textile--

(Boot for scale/ ~ 4')