Arpeggio in 9/8, 2015, 16’ x 11’ x 12’

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Arpeggio in 9/8, 2015, 16’ x 11’ x 12’
the story

Arpeggio in 9/8, 2015, 16’ x 11’ x 12’

Every sculpture I create is unique because I find no discovery, no reward in creating multiples. Life is simply too short. That said, I sometimes need a series of works to fully explore an idea.

“Arpeggio in 9/8” is one in a series of three in which I use these “lily pad” shapes. While they may at first glance seem somewhat random, each is a different size, bent to a different radius, and on a different axis from one another.

Once I get the model the way I like, I create patterns from it. I then lay out those patterns on drawings representing 8’ x 20’ steel plates, fitting them together to avoid waste. This serves as a guide to cut out the shapes. The lines crossing the shapes represent the bend axes.

Building such a structure is an exercise in 3D geometry. Each element is indexed to all the others, to the ground, to any reference that can be used. As the weight grows, the structure must prove strong and stable. Sometimes, as is the case here, a work is too tall to complete inside my studio necessitating outside crane and ladder work.

I like that though many of the shapes are variations on circles, when bent and combined with others they project a sense of direction, flow, and energy. After sandblast-cleaning, the parts are moved back inside for priming and topcoats.