Another new guy

[WBK]

Hello everyone,

I have been lurking this site for awhile and figured I should just go ahead and join. I have certainly enjoyed the discussions very much.

I began working with metal and wood many years ago. Although the experience was incredibly engaging, I let life and the addiction parade get in the way. I kept it in the back of my mind though, for over 20 years. When I began designing residential landscapes in 97’ I found it so wonderful to be working 3 dimensionally again. Incorporating fire, water, stone, plants, lighting and of course architecture into a theme or a “feeling” for a client has been very natural for me. So much so, that I didn’t really respect it. Fun, yes. Talent? I really didn’t think so (I’m still not sure).

Over the years however, I have been continually amazed at how few people can visualize and build things in their mind, especially the last few years as a Landscape Designer. I spend nearly half my time with some sort of drawing or prop that will enable me to build an image in the mind of my client. It can be a slow and frustrating process. The other half goes to refining my concept, producing a print for a contractor to install from and then actually working with the contractor to get it right.

Anyway, an artist friend has been encouraging me to try some sculpture again and eventually I began thinking about it more seriously. Since I have this weird relationship with boulders (I’m very picky and usually insist on picking out and directing the placement of boulders individually for each landscape) I decided to pick up a couple small ones for myself. The experience has been unbelievable for me. Even though my first choice was a granite boulder (not the easiest to shape I’ve found out), the process of removing material, following some of the natural structure of the stone and revealing an image is truly an amazing experience. Four or five chisels are a small price to pay for the ride.

I know my first projects are going to be elementary and immature. Hopefully you will allow me to ask a bunch of questions and maybe I can become an asset to the forum myself at some point. I do feel like I have learned much from all of you already, thank you.

Bill

[JAZ]

Dear Bill,
Welcome. I've just finished reading a little book on Calder and the relationships he had with architects and planners, combined with his engineering experience in college (even a course in kinetics!) really helped his career. It really seems like a factor in his getting those big public commissions, so your background will probably be very useful eventually for the same reasons.
We need some help visualizing, too, so when you have some images, please post so we can see what you're doing.
JAZ

[jwebb]

Welcome aboard. This site needs more stone heads. I carve both granite and basalt, and they are most worthy adversaries. It has been said "They carve you back". One of my favorite people is a contractor - and co-grandfather - who has gravitated into more and more stone work. He has developed a style of hollowing out bolders to make bird-baths and more sophisticated water elements, some combined with metal and wood, which I keep telling him are absolutely sculpture. He just has a great eye and love for this material. I gave him a book on Naguchi, and I'd recommend the same to you. Let's see some pics when you get some.

[Araich]

Welcome Bill!

What book is that JAZ?

[fritchie]

Welcome, Bill. You sound like a sculptor to me, and I'm also glad to see another stone worker, though I'll probably never do that myself. Keep us informed!

[sculptorsam]

Welcome aboard, Bill. A metal man here myself but I second the recommendation for Naguchi. Doesn't get much better than that.

Sam

[ironman]

Hey Bill, Welcome to this site! Carving granite are we? You masochist, you! Just kidding, but I think we're all a little crazy anyway. Yeah, a book about NOGUCHI would be good.
As far as the talent aspect goes ("I really didn't think so, (I'm still not sure").ANYONE can do this stuff, it's more about desire and hard work. Some training doesn't hurt, either.
Have fun and have a great day,
Jeff

[JAZ]

Welcome Bill!

What book is that JAZ?

It's The Essential Alexander Calder by Howard Greenfeld (published by Abrams), a tiny (6"x6" - 15.5 cm x 15.5 cm approx.) hardcover of 112 pages that is very well written - clearly, concisely and in a conversational tone. Mr. Greenfeld conveys substantial information in a natural way. The review on the back cover says only "Be an expert in 5 minutes." - The New York Times. Well, okay, so it takes a little longer than five minutes but it's a pleasure to read. I found myself thinking as I read: hmm, I didn't know that...I didn't know that either. Now I'm an expert?! And you can be too. I intend to get some of the other titles in that series sometime - including Joseph Cornell, Frank O. Gehry, Man Ray, etc. Their titles run from Audubon to Warhol.
I bought it used (it's in perfect condition) from one of the Amazon.com dealers. I also just got a copy of Calder by Jacob Baal-Teshuva (publ. by Taschen), which is a bit bigger, though fewer pages and paperback, has more photos including some of the sculptures done by Calder's father and grandfather. Must have been nice to grow up in an artistic, though traditional, family. I haven't given that one more than a casual glance becaseu it just arrived yesterday, but I can see that this one is written in an authoritative tone, more distantly. But it'll be good to.
I didn't have books on Calder and wanted them now becasue I'm teaching a class in intro to sculpture and 3D design at a community college. The materials/processes we have are cardboard, wire, air dry clay, plaster and paper. No kilns, no welding stuff, beautiful white room with a thirty foot skylight that has shades controllable electrically when I want to show slides and a sink. We also have a little bit of aluminum flashing, but no rivet guns or other typical ways to fabricate with. We do have a few pairs of sheers. So, Calder is a good example for wire and also for sheet metal connected with wire. And found object sculpture. I know lots of the people on this site don't have much respect for art education, but I do feel that being exposed to new materials and processes by a working artist is valid. And it helps with the rent.
JAZ

[WBK]

Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement, everyone. As soon as I get a couple projects under my belt I'll post something (Boy, that's a scary thought). Meanwhile, I’m learning some really basic lessons, like smaller hammers and patience.

The intuitive or instinctive process has me so excited right now. I’m drawn to some boulders and others not. It’s like the boulder itself inspires the first thought. It’s not even a conscious vision or a concept yet, but a feeling, “I like this one”. I take it home and look at the boulder closer. I turn it over and rotate it all around looking at the shape and the structure that runs through it. Slowly a very basic idea comes to conscious thought. At this point, my ego can dominate the process. But like any other relationship where one dominates the other, both are hindered by the limitations of the one. So letting this idea or concept sort of develop itself with the help of the stone and myself is really exciting.

Am I on track here?

Anyway, luckily I’m excited about something because as far as a shaping stone is concerned, I’m a total new-b.

Thanks for the tip on Isamu Noguchi. I didn’t know he was a “Scaper”, too. Looks like my little library will be growing shortly.

Bill

[jwebb]

Hey, Joyce, I don't think I've ever seen anyone on this site disrespect Art Education. There have just been differences of opinion expressed as to how its best aquired.

[sculptorsam]

Yeah, sounds like you're approaching it with the right attitude and energy, JAZ. You're students are lucky to have you.

[JAZ]

Hey, Joyce, I don't think I've ever seen anyone on this site disrespect Art Education. There have just been differences of opinion expressed as to how its best aquired.
Maybe I misunderstood, but it seems to me that every time anyone on this forum asks people's opinions about whether a Masters Degree is worth it or about suggestions for schools the answers tend to be that going to school is restrictive or something. Maybe I'm wrong about that.
I'd go for a Masters in a second if I had extra money (depending on the school of course). The Museum School was a big playground for me when I went for my undergraduate degree, stuffed with all kinds of materials, tools, etc. that I had never tried. It's not the school for everyone, but I loved it because it was totally open and free (in the freedom sense - certainly not the tuition, which was very high). I orginally signed up for all painting courses and got into one of the painting studios. Because of the imagery I included, the painting people began to drive me nuts, so I haunted the ceramics dept. working on a sculptural fountain kind of thing and discovering how to make hydrocal molds for slip casting. Then I stumbled into the welding shop and now I have my own. There's no way I would have gone in that direction on my own. To me school is a huge resource.

[JAZ]

Yeah, sounds like you're approaching it with the right attitude and energy, JAZ. You're students are lucky to have you.

Thanks, Sam.