PIECE SPECIFICATIONS:
Corten Steel, 10’H x 3’W x 3’D
CREATION DATE:
2011
click photos to enlarge
HOMETOWN:
Indiana
STUDIO LOCATION:
Monroe, LA
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SCULPTING?
BFA in Sculpture 1990, Indiana State University; MFA, 1994 from University of Mississippi
WHAT GOT YOU INTO THIS MEDIUM?
Steel is a great material that allows me to work by adding material through welding, or removing material through cutting. It is much like drawing in this respect, drawing a line or adding and erasing a line.
WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS SELECTED PIECE DERIVE?
I began using words in art to work through formal writing issues, primarily in drawing. In 2007, the words became part of my sculptural concerns.
TELL US ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CRAFTING THIS PIECE.
Hard and hot work in the very long Louisiana summers. Working large inside does not always translate into looking large outside. While making the work, it feels really big. When placed outside, it loses this perspective. This becomes a challenge, to make it intimate enough for one to approach and engage in the work on a personal level.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE THIS PIECE?
Approximately four months.
HOW DO YOU WANT THE SCULPTURE GARDEN AUDIENCE TO LOOK AT YOUR WORK?
With curiosity and questioning. It is not about what I am trying to say or do, it is about what the viewer takes away from the work, or gives to the work through discussion.
WHAT OTHER ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?
I was first inspired by Da Vinci. Since, I have gained inspiration from many artists - Duchamp, Rodin, Brancusi, and most recently Anthony Gromely.
