My Sculpture Weblog: The S2B

Mechanics weren’t the one factor influencing the look of this sculpture. When you keep in mind from my put up on SB-312 One factor I hoped to attain on this sequence was to discover some fashionable unique metals—in a cautious and considerate method that performed on to a single chosen materials. 

In researching this materials, I used to be reminded of why I’m so cautious about bringing unique supplies into my observe. Whereas it’s straightforward to simply purchase a novel materials and begin chopping to fulfill an ornamental finish, I believe loads is missed that means.

Mokume-gane is a fancy and diverse materials with an interesting historical past, it feels bizarre to simply choose it up and use it with out some sort of formal introduction. For example, there are a couple of methods to make the fabric, one thing I want to study extra about.

Jewelers typically incorporate a wide range of noble and base metals into varied formulations as effectively. Some use extra treasured metals like gold and silver of their dwelling brewed variations of Mokume-gane, whereas different variations are extra economical, containing principally copper alloys and nickel silver.

The fabric I used, which is extra suitably sized for machine work, consists of layers of brass, copper, and nickel silver. Every variation of Mokume-gane behaves in a different way and might be completed and patinated in a wide range of methods. Which once more, I nonetheless have a lot to study.

Admittedly, my use of Mokume-gane right here is fairly straight ahead and in step with different machined artwork that I’ve seen (all of us study from doing although). The end on this prototype is a straightforward etch with ferric chloride to deliver out distinction within the metals and matte the end. 

Some closing ideas.

As I proceed to pursue these small sculptures, it has emerged that my two completely different modes of working, kinetic and extra conventional sculpture, is perhaps slowly converging.

I’m much less wedded to the thought of incorporating a mechanic for my small work, and extra open to the thought in bigger one-of-a-kind items. Typically I start a design with a mechanic in thoughts, but it surely turns into unworkable and I abandon it in favor of a extra achieved static sculpture. The inverse can be turning into true and I’ve discovered myself designing bigger works with no intention of including kinetic parts, solely to be tempted by alternatives to just do that.

Maybe, simply perhaps, I’m turn into much less inflexible in what I hope to attain with any given design, favoring a extra fluid course of. I believe one would possibly describe that, as private progress.

Anyway, hope you benefit from the piece.