crane action

Earlier this week we fired up the crane and attached the top piece of my sculpture. A very exciting event, indeed.

a special thanks to John Hock (artistic director), Bobby Zokaites (park manager), and Tom Streit (fellow intern) for all of their gracious assistance

and the journey continues... only 2 weeks left!

coming along

Piece by piece, it's coming together. Last week I met a nice man named George who kindly snapped these photos of me working. He stopped by the park on his way up into Canada. A 10 day trip of motorcycling around Lake Superior... check out his quality travel blog HERE for photos.
Now that I've got the basic structure built, my time is spent cutting cutting cutting and welding away.

Working outside has its ups and downs. It gets pretty darn hot out here during the day time. And the nighttime mosquitoes are mildly carnivorous. Rain pours down in unexpected sheets, causing a panicked shuffle to get the high-voltage tools into the barn. But I'll tell you... the landscaped. My God, the landscape makes it all worth it. I can't help but feel more and more that my piece is becoming a part of the landscape. The backdrop of cornfields and cartoon clouds... this is something entirely new to me... and I love it.

Franconia Sculpture Park

It's been a month. And I still kind of don't even know what to say. I hesitate to try to define my experience out here with words, with the fear that it might cheapen it. Life on the park is rich. Our days are full. Work is hard. But it feels good. In such a short amount of time I've become not only a weed-whacking monster, but a grass-planting manic, a thistle-pulling beast, AND a ladder-climbing acrobat painter. 7 days a week we interns work for the park. We spend the morning doing various tasks, such as those mentioned above, and have the afternoons to work on our own sculptures. My piece is coming along. I arrived with plans and models for 2 ideas, and ditched them 2 days in. I'm much more happy with what I've conjured up.

I spent the first few days constructing this scale model. Though I was committed to the form, I was all over the place as far as materials go. I finally decided just to go with steel. Lots and lots of steel. And I plan to make so that it can be disassembled and moved to another location if the opportunity arises. Once my 1000 linear feet of #3 rebar arrived, I got to bending in no time. I prefer to bend the rod without the use of tools. I feel that by using my body I am able to get the material to do what I want it to do. It's a very physical/spiritual process... not easy to explain.

Roughly 2 weeks into my stay, my professor Jarod and his wife Jennifer stopped by to say hello. It just so happened that they were in town for a wedding, and though they both went to school out here (the University of Minnesota) they had yet to experience Franconia Sculpture Park's new location. It was really great to see them... to show them around the park, to show them what I'm working on. Very cool. Everything about this SURF project seems to be working out just right.

More in-progress photos to come!

Bubble Project prototype

All the hard work has finally paid off. The prototypes are complete! Though I've yet to see them in person, I'm thrilled at the fact that we've actually pulled it off. It wasn't an easy process. We decided, in order to save on fabrication costs, that we would build/sculpt the form onto which the bubble tiles would be vacuum formed, rather than using a CNC router.

First we made the form entirely out of plaster. In order to get the smooth, round forms we made plaster molds of rubber play balls of various sizes and cast them in plaster.

Then we sliced the solid plaster form in to 48 1/2" pieces on the bandsaw, traced each onto MDF board, and cut them out.

Once lined up and glued together, we began the tedious sanding process.

So, we left this MDF "tool" with the fabricators at MultiPlastics, and just a week or so later, these babies were ready for pick-up......

Situation Destination

While I was installing at the library, Becky Melancon, the sweet lady who organizes/coordinates the gallery space, snapped a few in-progress installation shots. Accompanying each photo is cute commentary, which is why rather than re-posting the photos here, I'd like to redirect you to the library's Saul Alexander Gallery Exibit, June 2010 flickr album... CLICK HERE to see more

For those curious as to how this piece came together...

• first the steel armature was constructed as one unit
• then I added seam lines and cut it apart into 12 pieces
• rented a U-HAUL truck to get everything to the library
• assembled parts using bailing wire... 2 at a time
  
• covered outer part of structure with plastic cling wrap
• using a spray adhesive, covered with pink fiberglass insulation (or "fluff" as I like to call it)

The day after I finished I had to go and patch a humongous hole... looked like someone had shoved their foot right through it. I've also patched several finger poked holes. As frustrating as it is (particularly because I will be gone for the remainder of the exhibition and unable to make any repairs) I can't help but feel glad that folks feel comfortable enough in the space to do as they please. I want it to be approachable and friendly. Not sterile and intimidating like most gallery environments. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that people behave and don't cause any more significant damage in the remaining 2 weeks of the piece's life!

Situation Destination

I finally finished the piece, and I must admit I'm kind of bummed... bummed that I no longer have an excuse to hang out in the gallery and talk to people and hear their reactions. That's my absolute favorite part of what I do. I've been SO happy these past couple of days. The library is the perfect place for my kind of work. I was initially concerned that it wouldn't get much exposure in the space, but I couldn't be more thrilled about the audience that it's reaching. There have been kids galore... and I really, really, really love kids. My work is very much inspired by them and their unrestrained curiosity and enthusiasm.It's really neat how the space takes on different personalities at different points in the day... at times it will be full of energy, kids running around, rolling around, dancing, etc. At other times it is more subdued and calm... a place to come and read books, to relax, or perhaps even to take a nap (had several kids tell me it made them sleepy.)

went to go get some more materials and came back to find this (!!!)

oh you know, just doing some calculus homework...

Situation Destination... a work in progress

Installation the past two days has been absolutely fantastic. It's been so rewarding getting to install in such a public space that just happens to be teeming with inquiring minds... I could go on an on... but I'm going to save that for another post ;)

My dad was in town to help me these past few days... while I was entirely engrossed in my work and unaware of his presence he happened to snap a few photos of me hard at work in the studio.

me with my model (ok, I was aware of his presence for this one)

making the very last weld

cutting apart the armature into 12 pieces (so I could get it through the door)

dirty booty...

So... I'm off to the library for one final round! I've just got to add some finishing touches and the piece will be complete!

coming soon... Situation Destination

On June 1st I will begin installation of my latest large-scale piece. I will be transforming the Saul Alexander Gallery at the Charleston County Public Library downtown, and I couldn't be more excited. This will be the first time that I will have the opportunity to fill an entire space, without regard to other people's work. Granted, it's not a very big space... but it's just right for what I'm going to do. Below is my "statement" that went out in the library's press release for the show...

(scale model for Situation Destination)

Situation Destination, designed for the Charleston County Public Library, both conceptually and structurally, is the fourth piece in my ever-evolving body of large-scale site-specific installations, or “situations.” In my work I am very much concerned with surrounding spaces, and in cultivating, within these spaces, temporary experiences that engage the viewer on multiple levels.

Visually, I like to work with forms that are both interesting and appealing. The soft, undulating shapes tend to be biomorphic in design. Though they may resemble living organisms or forms found in nature, they are, at the same time, intentionally non-representational, leaving the viewer the freedom to make of it what he or she wishes. In contrast with the natural evocations of the form, the structure itself is constructed in a manner reminiscent of 3D computer graphics. Grid-like and rigid, it exposes the contrivance of the manmade, the fabricated environment.

I should note that I greatly dislike the term “viewer,” for my work is not designed simply for viewing. It is to be experienced, through active participation, which is why I much prefer to refer to such individuals as “participants,” “actors,” or just “the public.” So, in this sense, my pieces are physically stimulating, as well as visually, facilitating motion and movement throughout the carefully crafted space.

Several of the pieces that I have previously constructed have dealt with a physical notion of passage and happenstance. This “situation” that I have created for the library is more about destination. The library itself is a destination. You rarely just happen upon a library. Going to the library is a deliberate action, so for this piece I have endeavored to create a space that requires a similar activity. I anticipate that, perhaps initially out of curiosity, the public will make a decided choice to enter the installation, the “Situation Destination.” I like the idea that, if people respond positively upon their first encounter, this piece could also function as a destination to which to return. I see it acting as a haven of sorts. A place for folks to come and read, for children of all ages to come and hide out, a quiet escape, if only for a moment, from the commonplace.

bubble project

So Jarod and I have been busting our butts trying to get things figured out for this collaboration of ours. We're learning a LOT about what it's like to work with fabricators... so far lots of frustration! We're in this weird limbo between "make or buy," which I learned in my Production and Operations Management class (I'm also a business major) is the most critical decision a manager can make. Well... it's not an easy one by any means!


We've got a budget for materials built into the grant, but since we've yet to get any kind of quote from fabricators, we have absolutely no clue if we can even afford the prototype! For weeks we've been perfecting a version of this digital 3D sketch-up model (pictured above), from which a mold will be cut, using a CNC router. Then, from the mold, we will have a number of plastic tiles vacuum-formed into the shape. The tiles will be aligned and set into a grid system (built by us) to form an undulating blanket of sorts.


Ultimately, we would like to have over 300 tiles made... but that will require further funding, so for our purposes this summer we would like to have at least 4 made by the time of our presentation in August. That's not too much to ask, is it?! Let's hope not! But just in case... we have decided to take matters into out own hands for the time being. Until we get some kind of estimate, we will continue to work on building the mold ourselves. This process involves bouncy balls of varying sizes, plaster galore, and lots and lots of patience. But at least it means we get to make a mess... there's something very satisfying about that...

mm mm MARFA

I spent this past weekend in one of the most interesting of places... Marfa, TX.
Back in January, my professor, Jarod Charzewski and I applied for a CofC SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research with Faculty) grant. Despite the mounds of paperwork we knew it would entail we simply thought... why not? Our proposal was for what we called a "Collaborative Sculpture Project with Investigation into Minimalism." Both of us work within a fairly minimalist aesthetic, so we thought this a good ground upon which to collaborate. Oh yea... and we got the grant.

Though we spent several weeks pouring over books and vintage art magazine articles on the subject, we knew we couldn't properly "investigate" minimalism without visiting the "hub" of American minimalism itself... Marfa, TX. Back in the 1970's, artist and art critic Donald Judd moved out to west Texas. As Thoreau went to the woods, Judd went to the desert... to live deliberately. He wished to create spaces where his work (along with the work of several buddies among the likes of Dan Flavin and John Chamberlain) could be viewed as it was designed to be viewed... a place where the gap between art, architecture and landscape would be bridged... the result was the Chinati Foundation.

Judd said of Chinati...

"It takes a great deal of time and thought to install work carefully. This should not always be thrown away. Most art is fragile and some should be placed and never moved again. Somewhere a portion of contemporary art has to exist as an example of what the art and its context were meant to be. Somewhere, just as the platinum iridium meter guarantees the tape measure, a strict measure must exist for the art of this time and place."

Judd's aluminum boxes are a perfect example of this notion....

(fantastic photos by Jennifer Charzewski)

I should note that, though I had seen countless pictures in books and online of these "boxes," not until I experienced them in person did I realize what they really were. I was blown away by the fact that I previously had absolutely no idea that they weren't solid cubes. On the exterior, each of the 100 boxes is identical, but the interior of each is entirely unique. And the effect is utterly magnificent... as seen above. The object is only one element in the work as a whole. The architecture and landscape are absolutely critical. The piece simply couldn't exist without them.

And so, to Marfa we went... it was quite the pilgrimage and I believe I'm all the wiser for it (or something like that?) Well... I learned a lot. I saw a lot of great work. Ate a lot of yummy tacos. Met up with a pretty cool dude from Philly. Got a taste of west Texas. And though I could ramble on Marfa for pages and pages, about the breathtaking landscape, the expanse of the starry night sky, the awesome/weirdo Judd estate/kingdom, the absurd amount of hipsters, the blah blah blah.... it's time (literally) for me to get to working on this "collaborative sculpture project" of ours. We've got some neat things in the works... stay tuned...

(Steve experiencing some Dan Flavin)

desend ascend descend again

Our final assignment in Jarod's 'Public Art' class was to create and construct an "immersive environment" of sorts. I was initially thrilled, because this is the type of sculpture I've been so excited about recently, but I figured it's time for something new.... so in attempts to challenge myself and create a new type of "immersive environment," I have come up with this.

Basically, it's a model for something I'll probably never make. But a girl can dream, right? Perhaps it's entirely ridiculous and overly ambitious, but I'd love to be able to do something like this at Franconia Sculpture Park this summerrrrrr. Who knows?! The actual piece would be constructed of steel rebar and covered in concrete. The soft underbelly would (likely) be carpet padding manipulated in the manner I've done several times in the past, but sprayed with a white paint and protective weatherproof coating. I love the idea that it could be strong enough for people to climb on it... a sort of "stone mountain." Yet it's soft and inviting enough for folks to hang out underneath, have a picnic, whatever.

April 2010

model made of brazed steel wire, rockite, and tissue paper
approximately 2.5' x 2' x 1.5'

Franconia Sculpture Park: Artist Intern

I've got some super neat things doing down this summer... and this is one of them!! I'll be up in Minnesota from June 15th - August 15th, living and working at the Franconia Sculpture Park. As an Intern Artist, my responsibilities will include working the grounds/park maintenance, assisting the Resident Artists with the fabrication of their work, and creating/constructing a piece of my own for inclusion in Franconia's 2010 exhibition! It's already proving to be a much bigger opportunity than I once realized.

can you find my name?!?!

Situation Orientation

What an incredible opportunity... to actually get to make this... I think I've probably said that way too many times... but I really mean it. Its so exciting for me to see something like this come to life... especially after all the planning and troubleshooting that goes into it!
Back in February I walked into the Halsey with a notepad, a measuring tape, and a mission... and walked out with a vision. I know it sounds cheesy, but that's truly how it works. I was drawn to this specific space in the gallery and saw this cave-like form. I knew it belonged there. I knew what I was going to make.

Though I knew almost immediately what form this piece would take, the covering material was something to which I was never fully committed. I had various plans... animal intestines being one of them. But not until (at the very last minute) I started experimenting with a roll of cling wrap, at the off-handed suggestion of an on-looking professor did I know exactly how the piece would be finished, and what it all really meant to me.

As I've said before, I tend to start with forms and let the concepts cultivate from there. At first I had great concerns about the transparency of the material... but then I realized that the transparency is what this piece is all about. I've been working with these biomorphic forms (abstract forms that refer to or evoke living organisms), fabricating them in a manner that I believe to be evocative of 3D computer graphics (the sterile grid-like pattern). This form is soft and inviting, but its not at all place to hide, a place to reside (think hibernating bears). The City Paper said of walking through it... "the experience felt both intimate and exposed." Exactly! It's this idea of a false reality, a false sense of security... the transparency (and fragility), both literally and figuratively, of the fabricated "environment." Have I lost you yet?

April 2010

armature made of mig-welded 1/8 inch steel rod
covered with appx. 1200 ft of consumer plastic saran wrap
18' x 10' x 6.5'

Tower of Blobel

As soon as you walk through the doors of the Halsey, you are confronted with this piece, off-centered on the large white wall that welcomes guests into the gallery. Precarious as it is, this "Tower of Blobel" sits on a rickety cart-like pedestal on wheels, which, in my opinion, completes the piece, both aesthetically and conceptually. It's kind of funny how it happened...
I started constructing the piece atop of this cart (one of many that live in the CofC sculpture studio) because it was a piece that was built upon itself. It was also very fragile and easily dirtied, so it was important that I handle it as little as possible. I'd roll it around on the cart about the studio, over to the plaster station, back to my little corner, back and forth. Now, you'll notice the mess of plaster covering the cart... that wasn't there when I began. Constructing this "tower" proved to be a rather tedious, difficult, messy and horribly frustrating process. As many already know, in order to make each "blob" I filled condoms (yes, condoms) with wet plaster, tied them off like balloons, formed them into the desired shape, and held them in place until they hardened. Well... as the Trojan box warns, condoms aren't 100% effective... they DO break... hence the mess.

My plan was to build a tower of sorts, from the ground up... as high as I could go. But, due to the weakness of the latex, the fragility of the hardened plaster, the precariousness of the stacked blobs... I realized this was never going to happen. It was an unattainable goal. A true "tower of babel" type of experience. I felt on the smallest scale what those Babylonians must have felt on the most enormous scale... this feeling that despite all my efforts, I'm not in control. That there's a force far greater that deserves my respect, my honor, and my humility and without acknowledging that, all efforts are futile.

So, I submitted the piece on this cart for the sake of convenience, with the assumption that if it were selected it would then be moved to a proper white pedestal... but the curator, Mary Jane Jacob, liked the pedestal... thought the piece belonged atop of it. At first I was like, huh? But then I realized how right she was. The cart tells the story... it's evidence of the struggle... it adds to the instability... it completes the tower.... the tower of blobel...

March 2010

13 stacked plaster blobs
approximately 2.5' x 1' x 1'

Young Contemporaries 2010

Now on view, until April 27th... the two sculptures in the above photo are mine. What an incredible opportunity to get to exhibit in the Halsey's new gallery... SUCH a beautiful space! The opening last Thursday was rather exciting... especially because... um....

WOW... whaaaat? It was incredibly overwhelming. Still is. It's exciting to see people respond positively to my work. To watch people inspecting it, contemplating it, discussing it, experiencing it... that's the best part, I think. It's what keeps me creating.

Stay tuned for more words and images on each piece...
until then, check out the Charleston City Paper's review of the show!

Situation Orientation maquette

Situation Orientation... a work in progress

When I proposed this installation, I submitted a complete scale model (images to come) with explicit instructions as to how the piece would be assembled in the gallery space. I built the armature in the CofC sculpture studio and cut it apart into three pieces so that it could fit through the gallery's 8' x 8' doorway... darn doorways, always complicating things! Upon submission, the armature was complete and cut apart... ready for install. Once in the space and reassembled I would then adhere the plastic covering on-site.

What you see here is the reassembled armature, in its space, ready to be wrapped!

After hours upon hours of wrapping... it's nearly complete!