PROJECT 3: CAST METAL AND WOOD PUZZLE PIECE

Process

I first brainstormed using the verb list we were given, and I explored "to break", "to twist" and a few more. I really wasn't finding inspiration up to this point so I decided to jump off the deep end and get figurative. I had recently finished reading "Travels with Charlie in search of America" by John Steinbeck, and this gave me an idea of the viewer looking in on their travels. After some sketches, the idea was scrapped, but this idea of looking in as a viewer stuck. Now it was just what to look in on. I explored with some other figurative images but then settled on doing some abstracted planets and space. I had previously sketched some of these designs but I now decided to use them. I carved into the resin sand, which was the material we used to cast the aluminum and iron into, and I was hesitant about how deep I could carve. The aluminum one turned out well but I wanted to do something else for the Iron piece. I had a better understanding on how to carve and how deep I could carve as well. At the same time, we had a visiting artist, Robbie Barber. I was finishing up carving the resin sand of my iron piece when Robbie came and gave a class demo on some of the things he does. He uses a variety of textures created by various rotary tools of all sizes. He uses bits that have other uses just to carve into this resin sand, and that got me thinking a bit more about textures and making round figures. My iron piece became a more abstract work with just round textured spheres in space and each one had a unique structure. After the metal was poured and I had both metal components I decided to use both in my piece since I liked how they both had turned out. I then had to "Chase" the metal, or clean up the edges to how I wanted them and sandblasting them. I then created the doorframe and created inner groves for the metal to sit inside the doorframe so they would not fall out, and I then created this "S" curve building. I created this to draw the viewer in and also lead them around to the back side of the sculpture. I also wanted to create a room like environment in which there is almost a stage being set for a scene. The doors were made functional for the viewer to interact with and to add a sense of guarding or protection. The fake wallpaper on the walls was also inspired by Robbie, as he uses faux material and scraps to decorate the miniature houses he creates and makes them look perfectly aged. I glued layers and layers of paper and then tore them off of each other to create this weathered down worn look and I then lightly sanded some areas to be more worn.