2/28/15

Sculpture 101, MV 714425525321621



CNC art, Machine Art, Machined Metal Sculpture, Metal Art

Most of the smaller works I have been making lately have come in the form of small editions, or at the very least pairs, but this newest small work is a bonafide one of a kind.

Machine Art, Machined Metal Sculpture, Metal Art

 Before I began my next big project, I felt like I needed to indulge in something more modest in size. And because I think it is important to invite a little serendipity into your work every once in a while, (even for a process as highly regulated as mine) I thought maybe it was time to make something relatively more spontaneous than usual.


 For some time now, I have been staring at this pile of 3/8"x 1" brass bars I got from my metal supplier. Apparently, whoever cut these decided that it would be perfectly acceptable to cut them using a metal sheer instead of a saw. The result was that the ends of each bar were deformed (or rather mangled) by the sheering process. 

Needless to say, my supplier could not sell them this way, so I got them for a bargain. Not wanting to let them go to waste, I decided now was as good a time as any to figure out what to make with them, so with that in mind, I set about some quick sketching with the rule that these bars should be the centerpiece of my design.


Machine Art, Machined Metal Sculpture, Metal Art

As you can see, the results worked out pretty well. there are a few things I might do differently if I had to make it again (mostly technical, not visual) So it was a good experiment.

Machine Art, Machined Metal Sculpture

A rear shot. The whole thing fits more or less into a 3" Diameter sphere. 

Schematic


The drawings continue to be a conundrum for me. I remain interested in this idea of the blueprint as both a technical document and a visual object, but I must admit, I have no idea where it is going, I suppose that is the fun part. They continue to captivate me though so continue I must. 


Process stuff: The center ball is machined out of solid stainless steel, so the work feels more or less like a small cannonball in your hand. 


Cutting the brass pieces was interesting. I decided to turn them to give them an extra radius along the profile and so I set up this simple offset fixture to hold them in the proper center axis. Nothing fancy, but effective. 


I can't say enough how nice this one is to hold. 


An assembly shot.

Machine Art, Schematic, Art Blueprint

Lastly a shot of the actually Blueline print I made for the work. I have had a really hard time sourcing new paper to keep printing these, I did finally get my hands on some additional stock, but the color blue this new paper produces is markedly different from the paper I used to use (which is now discontinued). So this part of the project may be coming to a close sooner than I thought. I will press on for as long as I can, but if anyone wants prints.. well.. first come first serve I guess.


As always, comments welcome.