Mounting Small Sculpture

[woolybass]

I am creating my first sculptures and could use some help with mounting.

My sculpture is of wood, very light weight and I wish to mount it, but don't even know where to find supplies or know IF there are some kind of standard supplies available.


I would like to mount to wood, something discrete and small so as not to detract from the piece...I don't want the base to stand out.
I would like some kind of pin to run inside of my sculpture for support, nothing supporting outside.

I'd rather not make my own if it is avoidable...but if I must, I would appreciate any guides for consideration that you know of.
Are there any sources of reference you can offer for consideration?

Many thanks,
woolybass

[sculptor]

Originally Posted by woolybass

I am creating my first sculptures and could use some help with mounting.

My sculpture is of wood, very light weight and I wish to mount it, but don't even know where to find supplies or know IF there are some kind of standard supplies available.


I would like to mount to wood, something discrete and small so as not to detract from the piece...I don't want the base to stand out.
I would like some kind of pin to run inside of my sculpture for support, nothing supporting outside.

I'd rather not make my own if it is avoidable...but if I must, I would appreciate any guides for consideration that you know of.
Are there any sources of reference you can offer for consideration?

Many thanks,
woolybass

OK here is where craft intersects art-----see discussion under "figurative sculpture"

if the mount is to a wall, there are myriad mounts available at most hardware stores----everything from lightweight "keyhole" mounts to heavy duty sink mounts. If you keep it snug, it requires less strength.

if to the floor ----fastened or freestanding would determine the strength required as a function of the weight, height, and center of gravity of the artwork.

for more detail:Post a pix of piece and sketch of desired mount

sculptor

[fritchie]

woolybass - Sculptor has just given you a good suggestion. Hopefully,
this will take you there. You'll have to go down about 5 - 6 comments, but it should be helpful as to the general approach.

Typically, you want the mount to reflect the substance of the piece. As for materials, there are many.

[woolybass]

Thanks for the suggestion and the link to the discussion on bases.

I have taken your advice and attached some photos. I am showing them propped and then held by me - couldn't get the full image while holding because my arms aren't that long.

My pieces are felted wool, sculpted wool and found objects -- the "body" fo these two pieces is drift wood...so the piece itself is very light.

I like the shape of the figure as is and prefer to have a base that does not command attention...but am open to any suggestions.

I don't understand the reference to the discussion on "art vs. craft" and how it pertains to this. Please let me know if I'm missing something -- I only read about 4 of the posts.

I'm not concerned about where I fall -- artist vs. artisan -- I only know that I really enjoy working with wool and discovering what comes out.

I appreciate your feedback and input --

[fritchie]

Wooleybass - Don't worry too much about the heading on that "Art versus Craft: thread. It started with discussion of the common concept that art is about ideas and creativity, and craft is about work well done in and for itself, but it quickly ran to an alternative comment that craft is needed for all good art, and then it branched all over the art map. This site is for all serious artists, and I think your piece is very well done. Thanks for posting pictures.

For your work I would suggest simple rectangular blocks of wood stained or painted in a dark or natural finish, probably about 3/4 inch to 1 1/4 inch or so thick, and other dimensions appropriate to the pieces. I have several African wood carvings bought locally and the importer, who chose pieces himself in his many trips, mounted them simply in his own workshop. He drilled one or more small holes in the bottom of the sculpture and put finishing nails in corresponding positions on the wooden base, clipping off the heads of the nails.

This method allows the piece to be removed at any time, which you might not prefer, but for his unique works, it has the advantage of making no permanent commitment to a given base. If you like, of course, you could epoxy the piece to the nails. I think the simplicity of your pieces is comparable in some ways to these African tribal carvings (which are not tourist pieces, by the way, but were carved by authentic tribal artisans for personal purposes).

[ExNihiloStudio]

Thinking through the problems of displaying this piece (which is very nice, by the way) is worth the effort because how any piece is displayed has serious sculptural repercussions. I personally don’t see a distinction between the way a piece is displayed and the piece itself in terms of thinking the issues through and paying attention to details. Brancussi’s pedestals were a direct extension of many of his pieces. He wasn’t content to leave them to generic painted boxes. I can’t imagine a standard ready-made off-the-rack solution for holding up your piece. Making the mounting as discrete as possible is probably the best way to go. I think that you’ll find yourself engaging structural issues that are of a different nature than the qualities of felt. In other words, if you want to hold the piece up like your hand does in the picture, you’ll have to use something rigid and completely unlike felt. The only way to avoid using non-rigid materials would be to hang it from above, lay it down on a horizontal surface, or pin it to the wall. If you replicate the action of your hand, you’ll have to create some kind of clamp that grasps the bottom of the piece. I think the least obtrusive way would be to attach a dowel shaped piece to some kind of anchor that rests securely on the display surface. For example, take a 6” square block of wood and drill a hole in the center of one face. Insert a ½” dowel into the hole with glue. Then you can slide your piece over the dowel like a sock. The bottom of the piece could rest on the block and completely cover the dowel. That would hold it up but does my suggestion fit your vision for what you’re trying to do? I like the twisted fabric holding up the piece in the top row second from left photo because it seems like an extension of the piece instead of a foreign intrusion. Any zinc plated off the shelf hardware is going to clash with the colors and material of this piece.

As an aside:
The Art vs. Craft reference is probably a more telling sign of how far this forum has come than passing the 1000 mark of registered users. We are now quoting the forum, and the Art vs. Craft Monster Thread is well on it’s way to canonical status, a scholarly reference for all and future source of hermeneutical commentary.

[jwebb]

I like your piece and agree with Mark completely about the base. However, my Thorndike Century Senior Dictionary doesn't help me with 'hermeneutical". Is Hermes, "god of boundaries and roads, of science and invention, of eloquence, luck, and cunning, and the patron of thieves" involved in the thought someplace? Please advise.

[ExNihiloStudio]

her·me·neu·tics [ hùrme nóotiks ]

noun

1. science of interpreting texts: the science and methodology of interpreting texts, especially the books of the Bible


2. theology of religious concepts: the branch of theology that is concerned with explaining or interpreting religious concepts, theories, and principles

[JAZ]

If you do end up with a "base" (rather than some integral element that holds the piece up), perhaps you could think about getting someone to make you a steel support for it. It seems to me that, based on the orgainic quality, you would want a round, not square, base and with steel, it's heavy enough that you could make it smaller. a small, round piece of 3/4" or 1" steel with two small, 1/8" holes and two short piece of 1/8" (11 gauge) wire would probably to it and not interfere too much with the aesthetics. Where to have it done? Local art school, local auto body shop that has someone whose creativity has been stifled. You could probably even barter something for it.

[woolybass]

I thank you all so much for your input and feedback...I am quite a novice and appreciate your time and thoughtful responses.

Since the body is driftwood, I will not be able to slide the piece over a dowel like a sock -- but this suggestion seems inline with others, and my thoughts ~ that the piece needs to be drilled so it can rest on a dowel or nails or metal rod, while being removable.

Off I go to try one or more of your suggestions - thanks again for your time!