sculpture as tactile medium

[oddist]

Sculpture is supposed to be tactile. This could be during the making of a piece or after the fact.

Those working in clay, wood, and stone are able to touch and caress their work in process.

Doing "Direct Metal Sculpture" with an electric welder, gas cutting torch, and high speed grinder leaves the work much too "hot" to the touch for the intimate, hands-on stuff.

In addition, you are isolated from the work by thick leather gloves, a mask, and fire retardant clothing. (although I have set myself on fire a few times...warning, do not wear jeans frayed at the knees while flame cutting)

I have thought about this disconnect and am curious as to others observations.

[ironman]

Hi, I think that the "EYE" is what really touches the piece, both creatively and critically. I have worked in all those media and the hands are put in service of the eye. Touch, by itself doesn't have a whole hell of a lot to do with it, except when maybe checking the smoothness of a polished piece of marble, etc.
I work in welded steel and never give the "tactile" a thought. It's all about how the piece looks, not how it feels.
Have a nice day,
Jeff

[sculptor]

Gerry

tactile uh huh ....gosh 'n gollies youbetcha

I am fond of telling people that sculptors "SEE" with their fingertips----your fingertips contain 23 glands the purpose of which has escaped modern "medical science" ---I suspect that some of these glands enable you to "feel" a surface without actually contacting the surface much like a shark's ability to sense via electrical fields.

That being said---you may look at a compound intersecting recurved bulge in a human form o'er muscle,tendons,bone- from 300 different angles, and still not "see" the interplay, while a single slow gentle caress can give you a true depth of understanding of the surface----especially of a surface in motion
.......for an example---place fingers lightly on the lacetus fibrosus (biceps tendon at elbo) gently folow it up and down as you flex the biceps and then as you twist the forearm--push hard to feel it's connection underneath the forearm muscles--when you've memorized the range of it's motion, test your memory by letting the fingers hover 1/8 inch o'er the tendon ---then try the same thing with a tightened grip on a ball----then again on a cube-----then again on a shaft----- all the while, occasionally closing your eyes and "visualizing" what your fingertips are seeing-----add this tactile experience to the visual input and voila you may learn to "see"------I submit that this depth of "seeing" is an irreplaceable component of the understanding necessary for representational sculpting

However------I have been chastized by more than one museum guard for caressing the sculptures--and many folks will not approach a sculpture that closely-so-
--a significant percentage of people will only perceive the sculpture visually---
and-----as mentioned previously in the patination thread----we spend a lot of time controling the curface coloration of the art----

so-----tactile medium-----well yes certainly-----and ---no, not exclusively nor necessarily--
--for me, the sculpting is mostly tactile and partially visual---once done, I enjoy seeing people drawn to approach and caress the sculpture----
as-re the lefty thread----I wonder if the folks who are drawn to touch are more right or left brained, or if we're talking a different electro-chemical thing?

rod
sculptor (http://sculpture.alturl.com)

[warren01]

Well I work with welded metal too, (not just steel) but I wait until it cools before I feel it. However, yes I love to touch and feel how the metal curves and flows. If I am hammer forming, I will work it out on how it feels not how it looks………..does it feel like it should look………… is the swoop as swoopy as I want it…………. does it feel round………….does it flow or is the line too broken ………..is the crevice deep enough?
In addition, the texture I put on the metal depends to me a lot, on how it feels, gives more insight on how it will shadow and highlight.
I guess my pieces are more realism where I try to make the shapes feel as good as they look.

warren

[JAZ]

Oddist,
For the first piece I ever made in steel I wanted two curves sides of 1/4" stock. I heated them with a torch and the steel became red hot and I was holding one end with a wrench to bend it. When it became hot enough that I could gently push on it to get the bend I wanted, it felt like I could feel the molecules in the steel shift. That moment is what hooked me on this medium. Suddenly the metal, which I had previously always thought of as cold, hard industrial stuff, became organic.
Today I was feeling the surface of my newest sculpture to see if it was above 50 degrees so the paint would stick. It feels good - cool and smooth.

[sculptorsam]

You don't actually cut wood or stone directly with your hands either. Your intention is mediated with the chisel or the knife. After the cut has been made, you can run your hands over the work to better "see" if you are on the right track. I'd argue there is a similar process with steel. Using a torch, plasma cutter or welder, I manipulate the material and then check it by hand. Wearing thin "tig" gloves instead of those super-heavy-duty gloves helps. The material doesn't have to be cool to touch, just not red hot. Spray with some water if you need to, but just move your hand quickly over the piece. Continue grinding. Steel can be as tactile as clay, depending on how you work it.

[kjm]

You don't actually cut wood or stone directly with your hands either. Your intention is mediated with the chisel or the knife. After the cut has been made, you can run your hands over the work to better "see" if you are on the right track. I'd argue there is a similar process with steel. Using a torch, plasma cutter or welder, I manipulate the material and then check it by hand. Wearing thin "tig" gloves instead of those super-heavy-duty gloves helps. The material doesn't have to be cool to touch, just not red hot. Spray with some water if you need to, but just move your hand quickly over the piece. Continue grinding. Steel can be as tactile as clay, depending on how you work it.
i think that people don't think welders don't have a feel for metal is because if they're not very relaxed and always struggling with the gear,fumes and noise it can be a real foreign and hostile environment for them kjm

[Mordachai]

All of you guys have pretty much said everything I could think of as far as working metal easily. I like to think of it as 'in motion' and able to do whatever you want it to . You just gotta coerce it! Really,
everything is always in motion and liquid, we're just not here long enought to see it, but it will all flow man.......


I'm new to metal( about 3-4 years working metal sculpture) and everyday I learn new motions and methods. And yes I do touch the piece while working on it, just quickly as sculptorsam said. ( Can you pull the rack out of the oven barehanded?lol).

Attached = Silicon Bronze Heron (copper legs)