This small sculpture is my second attempt with an incredibly challenging technical concept, one I had no expectation of ever repeating.
Earlier in 2020, I attempted to make a complex composition using only turning operations. That is, using only two axis of mechanical motion to machine a form that transcended the simple cylindrical shapes one would expect from such constrains.
The result of my first effort resulted in the DoT.
This new piece takes that same concept to a very different place.
This type of technical concept is right up my alley, as it is deceptively difficult to tease an elegant design out of such tight constraints.
I know wood-turners are often bound to only two axis of motion (and I admire that) but as a machinist with a world of tooling and processes at my disposal, this kind of voluntary deprivation is humbling and lead me to visual and mechanical solutions I might otherwise not have considered.
The source inspiration for the aesthetic of this sculpture is actually a concept I have visited a few times.
I was laid up (very briefly) a few months ago recovering from some minor surgery and I thought it would be a good opportunity to lay down some new ideas for larger work.
But instead of a productive drawing session, I found myself struggling. It is actually pretty hard to be inspired when you are just laying around looking at a screen (or the ceiling), I do my best thinking when my hands are busy in the shop.
So, as I often do when I find myself a little stuck, I started digging through old sketches.
I soon came upon some drawings from a series I made back in 2012- 2014.
It was a series with more than a few evolutions, all largely successful. But I did remember some things I was unhappy with, and it seemed to me that there challenges left unexplored. Then it occurred to me that this perfectly suited to a 2-axis lathe challenge as will
So I decided to dive back in and before long I had something worth pursuing, Something that I could breath new life into with an incredibly technical and formalistic twist.
This piece is about 4.75" long.
This work requires the use of a whole lot of unorthodox turning setups and little tricks I have learned over the years.
I was also able to employ a novel fastening setup that quickly enables the work to be disassembled an reassembled (for those who a brave anyway). It also rotates and slides freely in the stand, partly out of fidelity to the concept and partly because there is no wrong or right way to orient the piece to view it.
Thanks for reading, and as always, questions and comments are welcome.
Notes for collectors:
I am going to make a very limited edition of these works.
Production will be limited to just 30 pieces, with the first 15 spots assigned on a first come first serve basis, and the remaining 15 assigned via lottery.
The sign up will open on Friday October 29th (11AM EST) and will close on October 31st.
I will post the link to the usual places, Blog, IG, and Email newsletter. Pricing and color options will be posted along with the sign up link this coming Friday.
