Project 2 done.

Now I know I never gave a preliminary sketch on my second project but its all about a clock. I started with the stolen idea from my friend of doing a full scale plexiglas grandfather clock. When I realized that had been done and didn't look that great I went back to what I like...metal. I also downsized a bit to a hanging pendulum wall clock. When I pitched this idea to the class, they all told me to incorporate a theme from criminal justice. So...here is the result. A 2 feet high 8 inch wide face and 5 inch wide body fully metal clock with the pendulum that swings in and out of the bars. The clock "Doing Time" is probably one of my favorite and most functional sculptures.

Project 1 done.

My first project is finally done. I thought I had it done a long time ago but on critique day I over-tightened a screw and snapped a weld on a critical post. Overall, I am happy with the outcome. I was told I the critique it looked plastic...eh.. Can only get so much with spray paint finish I guess. Also, I was told to work on a good title. I've been doing some thinking and I think the title is going to be: "Criminality?". I feel that title provokes thought and leads the viewer down the criminal justice thought-path the abstract sculpture is supposed to evoke.

I'm back, one last semester.

Well, I'm back taking advanced sculpture again. It's a bit different this time around as I've been out of the loop and my old classmates are long gone.
But that aside, my first project is underway. I've completed my degree requirements for my criminology degree and it has opened my eyes to many different facets of the criminal justice system and its stereotypes. I have decided to complete the first project with metal as my medium. Here is a picture of my initial sketch.

Carnegiea gigantea caementum Completed!

My second project "Carnegiea gigantea caementum" has been completed! It took awhile with some troubles with the plasma cutter, but it was well worth it as I'm very proud of the way it has turned out. 

The welding is finished

The finished product: 

47x26.5x12in at 70 lbs    

Artist Statement:

Industrialization and its effect on the world’s natural elements is the main focus of my artwork. In my work, I investigate the negative effects industrialization has on our defenseless natural landscapes that are slowly being depleted through the growing world population and urban expansion.

For this piece, “Carnegiea gigantea caementum,” I explore the lifecycle of the saguaro cactus in comparison to the process of industrialization. In this investigation, I discover an analogous relationship between the skeleton of a saguaro and the skeleton of a skyscraper.  This piece represents the close relationship between the natural landscape and the urban landscape.

Project 1 has been completed.

Here is the finished product of Project 1.

Front view

Side

Side

Side

Overall, I am very happy with it. Going into critique I absolutely hated the feet how it is on the toes; however, after hearing what people thought about that I changed my mind as their points were very valid and helped the overall concept of the piece. The only thing I would change if I were to do this over again would be the middle pieces of wood that interlock the whole thing together. I feel they should be more organized and less noticeable. 

On to metal work!

Oh Heyyyyy....Project 1

I'M BACK!
It's Fall 2011, Advanced Sculpture.

First up: Laser Project!

So, this is where my idea started...The Sketchbook: (Yes, I know it's sideways...tilt your head)

The Sketchbook

To sum that up: I've produced a silhouette figure of myself. I've cut it out on the laser cutter after intense photo work on the macbook. 

The laser cutter doin' what it do.

Now, here is the cut out silhouette! 

The silhouette cut out.

Next up: I will attach the individual pieces together, then put the two silhouettes back to back and attached to (hopefully) make them stand up on their own. Then, I will make them seamless, paint, and stencil them. I'm not sure the exact sayings/words I'm stenciling yet or the exact colors and style of painting to do. That will come later.... Stay tuned.

Boomer Sooner

Class Evaluation...

This semester in Intermediate Sculpture has been GREAT! I've really enjoyed the class and all the assignments we completed. The welding was by far my favorite assignment and I cannot wait to come back to do future assignments in my next sculpture class in the fall! I have a lot of ideas for welding projects and wish I could have all the resources to do them whenever I wanted. That's it for now. It's been fun. See you in the fall! Boomer Sooner.

Laser Cutting Assignment Final

I finally got my laser cut mirror project on the wall! Here's what it looks like...

I feel this has a lot of potential. It needs a whole different venue to be displayed in I feel it should have nothing to reflex other than the person looking into it. The lighting needs to be much more refined also to showcase it. This will come with future displays. Overall, I am impressed with the project as a whole and look forward to the possibilities it has for future workings and pairings.

Precarious Welding Final Result

So, I had some scale and proportion issues with my original idea once all the pieces were made. Therefore, I came up with a new idea that I feel still portrays an interpretation on the word "precarious." I feel this new idea is a better final result anyway. I finished the piece with a satin black paint cover.

"Precarious." Metal. 2011

Precarious Welding Update

I've created a new idea since the last post.

My sketch:

My progress so far: 

Precarious Welding

This is out of my sketch book. My ideas for my precarious welding project. I'm going to have the sculpture look off-balanced and have Native American themes come through in a simplistic way. I'm also planning on incorporated horse shoes in the design.

Laser City

I have mostly completed the laser assignment.
I laser cut out a skyline from my own photo of San Diego out of plexiglass, then sanded down the plexiglass to give it a frost effect. Then I glued it and the side plexiglass pieces onto my mirror.
The only thing left is to figure out how to mount it on the wall.. That will come later.

Here is a really bad picture of the work so far I took with my phone. Enjoy.

"Maryvale: N. 47th Ave. and W. Indian School Rd." Critique Outcome

Today was the critique for my molding project. I think it went well for the most part. There were a few cosmetic issues that were pointed out, which was understandable. The main comment given about the project is that I needed more houses to make the "suburb" larger than human size. It was said I also needed further development in the placement/design with more details and attention given to the imitation of the actual Google maps image and the molds.
I do agree with the cosmetic issues as many of the chimney's fell off while removing the houses from the rubber mold. Furthermore, I do agree that I needed a much larger number of houses to span a larger section and make it larger than life. However, I am not feeling the idea of adding more details to the houses or what they lay on. I feel that adding more houses will fix that problem because the audience will focus on the number of houses, and the design. Whenever I envision this project in my head I always picture it really clean and simplistic. If I were to add anything, I would add advanced lighting to make the multitude of houses more dramatic.
Here are some pictures of the houses:

Project 2 Preliminary Ideas

Materials I plan to be using for project 2 include: Plexiglass/acrylic, Wood, Laser Cutter, LED lights, mixed media/photography, necessary assembly tools. 

My plan for project 2 includes using this photograph, or a cityscape like photograph, and cutting and etching it in various ways onto plexiglass.

For my idea I will completely cut the skyline out on the plexiglass. 

Once this happens the plexiglass will end in the jagged city skyline. Furthermore, I will also cut the photograph into multiple random sections. For a plain example: 

After cutting the photograph into multiple sections, I will devise an etch and cut pattern on each section of the photograph. Then etch each section onto the plexiglass sections. Once they are cut they will all be able to align and form the original photograph. 

I then will build a specialized shadowbox-like frame in-which I will strategically place the LED lights behind the plexiglass so that they illuminate the photograph and frame in a certain way. 

Maryvale: N. 47th Ave. and W. Indian School Rd.

In trying to decide on the multiple ways that I could display my houses; I researched the history of a suburb and looked at many different large cities within the United States on Google maps. Through my research, many ideas began to circulate around in my thoughts. Meanwhile, I decided to go back 50 years to 1961 and look at pictures of cities back then. I came across an old photograph from 1962 by Ralph Crane.

This photograph is of American real estate developer John F. Long looking over his private plan development that he developed in Maryvale, Phoenix, Arizona. Originally Long developed Maryvale as an area to provide affordable housing development for war veterans. 

This photograph intrigued me and I began to research it further. I came across an interview with Long that described the "Birth of Suburbia." In short, the interview described how Long started with a house for his family, then sold it and built another house in the same style. Furthermore, he eventually built 13 houses in the same manner that started the first subdivision. "We started Maryvale in 1954, and the overall plan was to develop a community that would provide homes for young families and a place for their recreation and employment and so forth, and their shopping, all in one given area," Long said. 

In further research, I found coordinates of an approximate location of where the above photograph was taken. The location is here on Google Maps on the southeast block of N 47th Ave and W Indian School Rd. 

This research is an extension of the photographic research I plan to do after graduating to document the changing landscape of the American West. 

For the molds of my houses. I plan to set up the houses in a location that can be viewed on level and from above. Furthermore, I am going to set up two separate sections; one section modeling the 1962 Crane photograph and the second section modeling the current Google Maps view of the same location as the photograph. 

Rubber Molding Project 1

For my first project in Intermediate Contemporary Sculpture, I'll be utilizing rubber molding processes to make replications of a simple object. More specifically, I am going to be casting a small model house that is normally seen with model/hobby trains and towns. I plan on replicating the small house about 50-100 times in a simple white plaster. The houses will be sanded down so that they are smooth and do not have a lot of fine details. Once the houses are replicated, I will arrange them in a tight grid pattern. This grid pattern will represent the tight suburbs of big cities. This will deal with the common theme of rapid industrialization, and "cookie-cutter America."

These pictures are real-life versions of what I will be recreating: 

Once the houses are replicated, sanded, and arranged in the tight suburb-like grid, I will photograph them at several different angles with strong, dramatic, and warm lighting. The photography of the project is also another personal step that I am wanting to accomplish as in my head I see really great photos coming from this project. 

Additionally, an artist that has slightly the same premise; however, he deals with over population and cultural problems would be Do-Ho Suh.