Newly Finished Sculpture...

[sculptorsam]

I just completed this work today. Had to rush to beat the oncoming blizzard so I could get a couple decent pictures. I will withhold the title for a bit as that seemed to throw some people off with my last piece. Also, this dovetails with the discussion on titles going on as well.

I am more nervous about how this work will hold up to the weather than any I've done. So long as it bends without breaking, I'm fine. And a little movement in the wind would be nice I think. But, without further ado, the sculpture:

[sculptorsam]

Another view:

[sculptorsam]

And a detail so you can see the central hub. Sorry about the multiple posts. I couldn't figure out how to post multiple images within a single message.

[Araich]

Fantastic! I love the way it stands.

I'm being drawn more and more towards the colour of rust... help!

I name it a... success!

[obseq]

Sam,

All I can say is *wow*

Although the piece is positioned vertically, I get an overwhelming kinetic sensation from looking at it--Rather decpetive! ;) Perhaps the 'hub' reminds me a bit of an axis.


Congratulations!

[fritchie]

Sam - Name it what you will, it’s clearly an airplane engine to me. The closeup seems to suggest that the blades alter pitch, but the frame locks them in place. Is the hub a dodecahedron?

Lots of implied parameters! I like this.

[jwebb]

Very fine piece. To me there is something of the character of moose antlers about it, or shale stones which have weathered for a few centuries in a talus on an exposed hillside. Many of your forms have that quality, and I dig it. Don't know if there's a title image in there someplace, but that's sort of how titles usually come to me.

[sculptorsam]

I am always pleasantly amazed at what people see in my sculptures! For an *artist, I tend to be very literally minded so it is always eye-opening for me.

I'll tell you all what I had in mind. For each "seed" form, I was thinking of those helicopter seeds that grow on certain trees. Poplar or boxelder? I'm not sure. And for their configuration, I was thinking of mature dandelions, partly blown apart, scattering their seeds. The negatives of the hubs (which is a dodecahedron, just as the three geometric sections are modified dodecahedrons as well) hopefully suggest the absence of other seed forms which have already scattered.

I have named this one Triple Spark. In the detail, you can almost make out "spark-plug" forms inside the three structures. I was trying to bridge the gap between nature and machinery, drawing a parallel between the spark of an engine and the spark contained in a seed. Anyway, I think the title is vague enough to not be limiting (in the absence of me standing there, giving it all away).

That may be more than you all wanted to know. I am still conflicted about explaining my thinking too much and potentially limiting the experience of the viewer. But, as we're "talking shop" here among other sculptors, I'm a little more loose.

Thanks again, all.

Sam

[kaidu]

maple seeds. Thats what i thought it looks kind like.
Nice sculpture.

[waveshop]

Hello, I am new to the group and still a bit over whelmed at the magnitude of the professionalism here. I can only say at the moment. WOW! Rob

[ALH]

Ditto on the wow thing.

I always like works that seem vaguely functional somehow. The fact that it exists now seems obvious and natural, again in a very understated and unconscious way. The kind of thing I would become comfortable with immediately, if I were lucky enough to have it in my own geography.

now, do it again

[sculptorsam]

"now, do it again"

I like that! I love work that appears, or even is, functional as well. Right now I'm making a giant trap that would be completely functional if the spring worked. I think functionality add to the "realness" of a piece in our minds. There are also practical reasons for building a piece a certain inherent integrity. This sculpture can be completely disassembled into its various parts (I should have taken a picture...) so down the line when the wood needs to be replaced, it will be a relatively simple job.

On a side note, I happened to place this work on Ebay a couple days ago: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2872410060 More for advertising than to actually sell them, I've been trying to put stuff on their for a month now or so. Let me know what you think, if you think I'm crazy or if you think my price is crazy.

Sam

[fritchie]

Sam - I've rarely looked at ebay, but I find this offering of yours very excellently presented and very professional. I especially like the views you include of other work. This should give viewers a good idea of the range of your work. As far as price, I’d say it is a good choice, both reasonable and a genuine bargain for work of this size and quality.

I would guess ebay attracts mostly buyers of hard-to-find items, curiosities, items that are intrinsically lowcost, or bargains. I have exhibited sculptures each year at two big annual gatherings held by my hometown (Slidell, La., a booming New Orleans suburb), July 4 and mid-fall Arts Evening programs, but they have generated no sales to my knowledge. (Viewers are referred to my New Orleans gallery.) The gallery owner considers it mainly publicity, as I do.

The sales I see at these shows typically are of small paintings or ceramics, and are in the range of a couple of dollars up to maybe $200 - $300 at most. Large sculpture is not an impulse category, but I would expect an ebay market might develop.

[waveshop]

Hey sam,.... I have looked at your site and squinted hard to try and understand the mechanics behind the flexing at the "ball joints". I assume there is a spring inside there. My big question is, being a sound fan of old creaking wooden hull sailboats, do the two by four connections bend/creak/or flex in any way with the spring?

[sculptorsam]

Hey Rob, I'm trying to understand your question better... are you refering to "flexing" in this work? I don't use any springs ever. Everything you see is just bolted together, even if the bolts are hard to see at times. I had a problem with engineers inspecting a work I had installed at a university once. They couldn't figure out how it was put together so they declared it suspect and roped it off with caution tape! Makes for a good story at least.

But I do love old wooden boats!

Sam

[kestonh]

I know its been stated before- but- WOW!
not really much constructive to say, just felt the need to comment

-Keston