Clara - Public Art - Woodworking

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this draft is shown in such poor quality-- so I apologize. 

I am interested in creating an architectural structure comprised of a hollow form tetrahedron star, fabricated from laser cut composite wood, and supported by three square columns. The hollow form would be roughly 8 feet by 8 feet, and the columns would stand 16 feet tall. 

My initial idea for this project was to carve a series of totems representing the six friends I have had die throughout the past year and half. I came up with the totem forms after emerging from a greif-based-meditation, and was really moved by their likeness to my friend's lingering energetic forms; however, I would rather carve these totems out of wax and cast them in metal than carve them out of wood. Furthermore, I found the concept too personal to justify as a public art piece. Rather, I imagined the totems grounded in an aspen grove on my family's property outside of Centennial, WY... The interconnectedness of the aspen grove and the network of friendships would have been an important aspect of the concept of the piece. 

Once I came up with this idea, I had the misfortune of loosing a lot of inspiration after becoming simultaneously very sick and very sad. I started daydreaming about some of the last times I've felt truly happy and connected to my friends and eventually found inspiration in those warm memories. Pre-COVID19, I spent almost every weekend going to various concerts with my life-long friends in Colorado. Our particular genre of music is electronic-- large-scale electronic music festivals tend to be immersive art experiences that marry the best of sound design, lighting design, sculpture, visual-art and costume. Often times at these experiences, they will have "chill zones" where you can go and relax if the music and atmosphere gets too intense. Depending on the event, these "chill zones" have the potential to be immersive spaces of their own.  

I was getting so stuck on not being a "public artist" that I forgot one of my main goals is to create work for events/experiences as described above and otherwise. 

With the heartache and physical pain I have been navigating, I often feel overwhelmed and in need of my own "chill space." Usually, I cultivate this "space" through my Reiki and energy-work practices. In meditation I frequently visualize my physical body as being surrounded by a large Merkaba/tetrahedron star to protect and ground my energetic field (sorry we're getting a little hippy-woo-woo over here) or I visualize the Merkaba as floating above my crown chakra. 

This design emulates the later visualization, where the tetrahedron star is poised above the crown chakra of all who rest underneath it. The tetrahedron star will be fabricated out of wood which will have the "flower of life" pattern laser cut out of it; thus, the hollow form will be a delightful play of negative space, pattern, light and shadow play. I had a challenging time depicting this in the rendering I created of the piece. The square wooden columns could be replaced with steel bars. I also could imagine the tetrahedron to be painted with a reflective finish so that colored lights could be projected down onto it to deepen the visual complexity of the structure. The work would easily fit into my current visual language with its sharp geometric shapes and the "flower of life" pattern was already featured in my bronze drawer pulls. 

Side note: I know that this form also has connotations to Judaism, but I think my personal connections to it allow me to use it without fear of appropriation. 

 

Megan Project 2 ideas

 

Hello Megan! Both forms are really interesting.  If you choose the top image think about putting it on the ground plane so we can enter it or walk through it? Either way how does rain or snow escape from the hollow center?  

Are there any artists you are looking at that work in wood?

Ashley- Wood Project

 For this one I found an old sketch and thought it would be really cool to make out of wood. I would laminate it then sand it down. It was based off an old sketch I had (I can't find it) it was supposed to be a different rendition of the taurus sign. I think that this piece would really stand out in wood especially a darker wood, walnut, teak, or even white oak I think would look really cool. Taurus is a very grounded sign and one of the earth signs. I haven't found a location yet but ideally I would like it to be surrounded by greenery. I really like this idea and I would be extremely excited to work on this. I want one of the horns to go through the other, I think this would add some depth and would make it interesting. It deviates a little from the original sketch but I would need floating pieces if I based it off the original. I will upload it if I find it! I really liked this one image from the powerpoint (didn't see the name)

I also really liked Stephen Porder's work, just the shapes, one of them reminded me of my sketch.

Ashley,

So the sign of the taurus...love the shape.  the viewer will not see this as a taurus sign, esp. those of us with different signs.  With this said, the form is lovely and would work great in wood!  Look at the form.  It is one piece, but is pierced.  It is half of an infinity sign. It would be lovely in wood.  So think about how you would go about laminating this and make the maquette as you would in wood so you problem solve how to make it.  You have several options.

Look at Joshs' post for the images I posted of how he will make his head. You could do as Porder does, but think about the form and the direction of it vs using smaller pieces/chunks to laminate it together.

Virgil's Second Project- Wood

There are two main ideas that I have come up with. Both concepts follow my insect theme and I primarily looked at three different artists. These artist are Mehimet Ali Uysal, Louise Bourgeois, and John Grade. I looked into each artist's work and decided to take inspiration from certain aspects that I liked. 

Mehimet Ali Uysal

Of his work I really like how it interacts and stands out in the areas he places his pieces. 

Louise Bourgeois

I love the size and the overwhelming feeling that her spiders give off. They are massive and lovely, they evoke a lot of awe. 

John Grade

The uses of pieces and the sheer size of the trees that he took casts off of was very intriguing. I enjoyed the way he used the materials. I'm thinking of incorporating something similar in one or both of my ideas. 

Idea 1- Emerging Cicada. 

I had this idea because cicadas only come out every 13 to 17 years depending on the species. I thought it would be intriguing to have the back of a giant cicada wings popping out of the ground. I like the idea of this being monstrous like its emerging from the ground to go and find a mate to continue the cycle. 

Idea 2- Golden Tortious Beetle Picnic Area

The Golden Tortious Beetle is actually native to Wyoming. They are unique because they are one of few insects that  actually have a bright golden color. Also Fernando's first piece reminded me of this and insect and I decided that It might be an interesting insect to explore.  

I love your scale and drawings and thoughts for this project.  There are several ways to go as an artist. Your idea is rendered regardless of the process or materials - paint, printmaking, wood, or you can allow the materials to dictate/help the idea.  

When you look at these two ideas- does wood really seem like the best material for them? The first, in my humble opinion, would be better in steel and glass or plexi or plastics, and the second screams resin to me.  So knowing you are using wood and really exploring wood, are there insects that would work better for this project?

Idea 3: Bag Worm Caterpillar 

These Bag Worm Caterpillars are unique in the way that they go about building their Chrysalis. They create long cabins out of sticks, sands and moss. They then us this cabin to got through their metamorphosis.  I think it would be interesting to create a cabin build. Where you walk into the the abdomen and able to look up through the piece and to the sky. Something very similar to Nancy Holts "Sun Tunnels". Mine will be more vertical and made out of assorted pieces of wood.

I before E except after C. :)

Links to bugs that look like wood

OMG Virgil- this pic is you building your cabin!!! :) You are on a better track. Now you are thinking!

Jessica Project 2 ideas

 For my idea I would like create a piece that a viewer could walk under and interact with. The piece would be 16 feet tall and have a base diameter of 8 feet. The wood will be laminated with dyed wood glue. The inside will include onyx prisms (they can be made out of resin etc) to offset the natural softness of the wood. I would want the inside to also have reflective material to mimic stars as a direct response to the space. This will be installed half-way between the Snowies and Laramie on Highway 130. I want the light of the space and time of day to be integral to the piece. 

Artist Influence? Check out John Newman

The form is lovely Jessica. For your maquette - use cardboard and layers.

So why recreate the nice sky in another material knowing where the site is? Talk about this

    Looking at John Newman's forms has inspired some new ideas about my process in making this piece. I could attempt a steam bending technique and make this curve out of ribs of wood and use material to stretch across this piece.

Additionally, I experimented with wood lamination on a small scale this week and I learned a lot about pattern making. I think I wanted to go with a "night sky" effect on the inside because it contrasts with the physical wood but visually it would almost blend into the landscape. I want the sculpture to feel as natural and seamless with the landscape as it possibly can. Using some sort of reflective crystal or glass on the inside could play very well into this idea. I think Wyoming skies are a highlight of this landscape and in a place like Laramie, light pollution is minimal. I want a piece that could shelter a viewer but also accentuate this feature of the state. Additionally, I could instead make a webbing out of the top of the structure to see the stars through the piece but something about this form is also somewhat sheltering from the elements (not so much the wind). 

At First Blush
1993-94
Aluminum, steel, gauze, leather, epoxy and plastic
78"x 48"x 28"

My maquette piece I tried sanding and broke the legs off of it. I think I will have to be careful moving forward, maybe I could steam bend pieces for the legs and glue the laminated top to the legs. 

First iteration with maquette, (dyed wood glue, bass wood, crushed crystal (could be replaced with frit))

Additional drawings of what the piece could look like (I don't think I'm going to go forward in this direction, it looks too jabba the hutty and I think it infringes on Megan's style)  

SO I think I will continue with my original direction as the simple arching form.

I don't think Megan owns any shape or style Jessica. we can talk about the sanding process and how to proceed with caution. Using a dowel in the delicate legs may help. The form is lovely and relates to your steel piece in its fluid motion. Bass wood is very light and porous so have faith.

Fernando Public Art Ideas

I like the idea of creating a sculpture and would have lots of fun in the process. I would like to create a simple animal such as a fox.

Why is a fox simple?  Why not another animal- is there a reason for a fox in particular? What would we get from this piece as a viewer.  In Laramie, the fox population was poisoned a few years back because they were giving mange to the domesticated animals in town. This is why our rabbit population is so large.

My second idea was a piece you could interact with and use in public such as a wooden bench which I drew the sketches in the images. I like how resin epoxy is added to many furniture wood pieces. The second version of the bench adds a back rest that would give more comfort and possibly have a soft material as the back support. 

LOVE THIS!!!!!! Please make this one. Really think about the form- make it stunning as an abstract and a functional seat when used.

Artists? Find some on my list that can offer some help with form.

Lindsay's Public Art Piece

Oh my goodness. My brain is serving up little inspiration this week. I went back to the drawing board and here is my brain dump for ideas.

What do I love about Laramie?

1. Sense of community

2. Still a bit wild

3. The people that live here are gritty and willing to work to see the beauty and richness of the area

4. The wildflowers

5. It feels like a well kept secret the way it is somewhat isolated

6. History of depending on strong woman

   
   

Ways to visually express these ideas

1. Wild could be an abstract piece

1. Something including wind

1. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/74466/listen-these-7-sound-sculptures

   These are incredible...Although, not probable for this specific assignment.

2. Historic trails

1. Overland trails

2. The bone express - Pioneers would write messages on the back of Buffalo Skulls and leave them along the trail for others to read. Some were love notes, others were warnings about the trail, or even ads. 

1. https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/learn_interp_nhotic_quotes.pdf

IDEA: Create a modern buffalo skull...possibly planar to create a geometric feel, like the blue bear in Denver by Lawerance Argent. The front of the skull would be white. The underside would be hollow for people to walk around and through. Possibly allow people to write messages to loved ones...like the locks on the bridge in Paris. 

2. Wild flowers

1. Literal details but exaggerated scale?

1. https://homegrownartworks.com/illuminated-sculptures/

2. I LOVE how these pieces are lit. They remind me of the luminaries in New Mexico during the holidays. Very soft, warm light. 

IDEA: I really love our wildflowers here in WY. My favorite one is Mountain Parsley. I think some people consider it a weed, but I love how it maintains its yellow color even into winter. I would like to create oversized wild flowers of different varieties and place them in different parts of Laramie...a little mountain parsley in one part of town, and indian paintbrush in another. I think these would probably be best suited for steal though. The little one I made is wire and cast paper. 

***I wonder if I combined the wild flower with the skull. I could make three of the mountain parsley instead one?*** I realize that AGAIN, this has potential to be cliche, but I think the history behind the skull is interesting and unique to our area. Like always, I am open to suggestions. I will bring in my little maquette tomorrow.

Ashley, I am so sorry, I just saw your update. I have a maquette made, but can always shift directions.

Lindsay- look at the powerpoint I have uploaded in wyocourses and respond to the artists and work to allow you to imagine a piece.  Maybe this work should be abstract vs recognizable imagery?  You liked the plaster piece in sculpture 1- yes?  Maybe try and explore more formal concerns in this one?

Currently working on additional ideas...hopefully more original than this one...pray the art gods will bestow bounteous ideas on me... hahaha

 Hello, hello! As I considered where I would want a piece commissioned here in Laramie, I thought about downtown's plans to update/renovate Third St. Part of the plans include a road median that holds plants and art as well as some kind of "gateway" as you drive into town from 287. As I looked at various artists I thought about my time living in TX and all the fun, unique public art they had there. So I decided to look through some of Austin, TX public art online and came across these awesome owls. 

https://austin.towers.net/okay-lets-talk-about-these-new-owl-statues-in-downtown-austin/

I believe they are made of some kind of concrete/cement material, but it reminded me a lot of laminated wood. I thought it would be a fun challenge to use this aesthetic on something specific to Laramie. I decided on an Antelope since they are EVERYWHERE here. While this could be cliche, I think that by putting it in this more contemporary format it takes on an unexpected tone.  

Something I would love to "borrow" from these owl sculptures is that their bases light up! Wouldn't it be neat to drive into town, greeted by these funky pronghorns a top glowing boulders? Maybe just to me...

The laminated wood could be stained vibrant colors or kept neutral...not sure yet. I would like to lean towards a mix of colors and natural wood. The boulder could be Plexiglas (I think?) so it could be lit.

Olivia's Woodshop Piece

 Leonora Carrington is by far my favorite artist. I wanted to be more artist/culture based with my piece and so I decided to explore further Nahuatl art - which composed the entirety of my IB exhibition senior year of high school. She lived in Mexico City for the majority of her life and way heavily inspired by the Nahuatl art while also incorporating her own fantastical elements into her pieces. They are both dream-like and highly skillful. 

I would like to carve out an aztec god/mythical creature in the same surreal fashion - perhaps something like a chaneque. These are little creatures rumored to suck the souls from a person's body and burying them into the land. Since the creatures vary in how they look in ancient Aztec artifacts, I have a lot of freedom in the composition and proportions of such a creature, as long as I incorporate Mexica style and make sure the creature looks like a being 'beyond nature' - celestial like Carrington's work.

I looked through the artists, and feel really inspired by Diederick Kraaijeveld. I love how they layer their wood and paint accordingly. I'm going to layer my maquette like so and then cut it out accordingly with the jig-saw.

Olivia,

You have a style in your artwork for sure.  I would like to hear you speak about appropriation, especially when dealing with another culture.  Why create work like the aztecs versus a more contemporary expression correlated to you and who you are and possibly your ancestry?

Kraaijeveld

Joshua Trembly Wood Project

 I've been playing with a few ideas for the upcoming wood assignment. Since the possibility of learning additional woodworking techniques is on the table, I have a couple concepts to work with. 

The first is to work with a "life sized bust" out of wood and use what techniques I know to start to reveal the "inner workings" of the figure--first the inner anatomical features, then more imaginative or "artistic" layers (like "art" coming out of his head). 

I like this idea, make the inner materials -not wood.  Then you are simply creating the head out of wood by laminating and carving. See picture to understand the cardboard templates I was speaking of last week.

This would be how you would laminate hollow so you have a space to fill. Remember that the thickness of the cardboard is less than that of the wood.  Usually we use 3/8 to laminate like this.

I've never worked with a full sized bust before, even with plaster, so this project would offer a unique challenge. My plan going in is to make a smooth bust "shell" and a skeleton, then to use the space between the bones and hollow frame to add muscle and other fun stuff. 

I would shoot for 3/4 scale because of time.  No skeleton on this one josh. The time is not there.

The way I'm envisioning the piece is as having a smooth, nondescript face on one side that's maybe even painted white or light grey. As the viewer's eye moves along the piece, they see the skin turn to muscle, sinew, then bones and veins. Why show this part?  Why not have the head be all smooth and still the opening is there with the insides coming out. Ask yourself why the bone and muscle are important to show.

An opening in the head will have all sorts of fun imaginative stuff coming out like cog-mandalas and disintegrating cubes. 

It might even look good to have the head falling apart or disintegrating in places. The disintegration tells a different story. A breaking down vs a celebration.

    Escobar Marisol is one artist from the source book who makes smooth wood figures. 

https://www.pinterest.com/bestlinkwood/wood-sculpture/

https://www.google.com/search?q=helmeck+sculpture-wood+head&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiGtuC2v7DvAhUKAzQIHZNpAFQQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=helmeck+sculpture-wood+head&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1DXEliEJGDuJmgAcAB4AIABcYgB2gaSAQM4LjKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=82BOYMbwEIqG0PEPk9OBoAU&bih=896&biw=1658&safe=strict#imgrc=gqgwjw6DBx-6uM

I've worked with the idea - what idea? for some time but I feel that using quality materials and spending more quality time with it could really be good for the concept's development. 

How does this differ from an anatomical model?

This is amazing.

This sculpture I worked on over the summer for PR is a good example of what I'm going for w/ wood. In place of a brain would be hollow space lined w/ pattern etc.

And also this section of painting shows one possibility of what to "fill the head with" (I can't not share this stuff when it ties in so closely to what I want to make XD) but obvsly it's going to be 3D. 

If I don't use a solid piece of wood, Jackie Ferrara's (from the source book) "stacking" method might be a good way to develop a bust. 

I'm treating this idea as my primary one and the next are alternates. 

I've been making little imps :) and it would be fun to make figurines out of them and put them around a fire or something. Again, I have done so little art with wood that making these is only a possibility if I'm engaged in learning new woodworking techniques, or if I get really comfy with a lathe, or something. Finally, if all else fails I can always make a wood mask.

What would use the lathe on? These sketches do not lend themselves to the symmetry a lathe would produce. Think table leg, bowl, rounded.