My sculpture is created with precision work
The ideas for kinetic sculptures can come from a variety of sources. Many of the movements involved can be seen in nature, like a tree blowing in the wind, or mechanical movements we live with every day, like a pendulum swinging.
Once a decision is made on which path to pursue, a model of the movement is usually made, nothing too fancy, just enough to indicate if the concept is going to work and move freely when it’s built. Many times these models need to be changed and modified or completely scrapped because one little detail is overlooked.
Once the model is working in 3 dimensions the scale of the piece is determined. Indoor pieces usually require lighter materials as there is less movement from air currents and outdoor pieces need to be designed for human viewing and interaction, without endangering the viewer.
The indoor sculptures can be made from almost any material as the elements will not be a factor. Sometimes precious metals, gold and silver are used, sometimes rare and precious woods are used.
Outdoor sculptures require a little more thought. The rain snow and wind are all going to influence how the sculpture behaves and lasts in the environment. Generally aluminum and stainless steel are the best choices here.
To begin making a sculpture patterns are made to enable precise parts to be cut. Saws, lathes, mills, plasma torches and a variety of tools are employed to cut the rough shapes of the parts required.
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM TO SEE MY FREQUENT WORKSHOP POSTS DETAILING MY PROCESS
In the outdoor pieces most of the large sections are hollow so accuracy is important to enable parts to be joined together. The metal is bent and shaped to the desired section and welded or otherwise joined together to make the finished part. Many of the parts particularly the bearings and bearing housings are machined on lathes and milling machines to tolerances of one thousandth of an inch, or one third the thickness of a hair. One of the machines used is a Rivett Lathe made over 100 years ago and still working beautifully.
Assembling all the pieces requires many hours and many tools. Some of the indoor sculptures may have nearly 100 parts in them. Some of the outdoor sculptures may have pieces over 20 feet long and weighing up to 100 pounds.
The best part of the process is setting up a sculpture for the first time. After spending weeks and in some instances years, it is time to see if the imagination can become a reality. With the first bit of movement it is apparent if the sculpture is a success or not. Many hours of balancing and adjusting will bring the piece to it’s final form. Some of the outdoor sculptures are so delicately balanced that a few flies or the morning dew will affect their posture.
Once a decision is made on which path to pursue, a model of the movement is usually made, nothing too fancy, just enough to indicate if the concept is going to work and move freely when it’s built. Many times these models need to be changed and modified or completely scrapped because one little detail is overlooked.
Once the model is working in 3 dimensions the scale of the piece is determined. Indoor pieces usually require lighter materials as there is less movement from air currents and outdoor pieces need to be designed for human viewing and interaction, without endangering the viewer.
The indoor sculptures can be made from almost any material as the elements will not be a factor. Sometimes precious metals, gold and silver are used, sometimes rare and precious woods are used.
Outdoor sculptures require a little more thought. The rain snow and wind are all going to influence how the sculpture behaves and lasts in the environment. Generally aluminum and stainless steel are the best choices here.
To begin making a sculpture patterns are made to enable precise parts to be cut. Saws, lathes, mills, plasma torches and a variety of tools are employed to cut the rough shapes of the parts required.
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM TO SEE MY FREQUENT WORKSHOP POSTS DETAILING MY PROCESS
In the outdoor pieces most of the large sections are hollow so accuracy is important to enable parts to be joined together. The metal is bent and shaped to the desired section and welded or otherwise joined together to make the finished part. Many of the parts particularly the bearings and bearing housings are machined on lathes and milling machines to tolerances of one thousandth of an inch, or one third the thickness of a hair. One of the machines used is a Rivett Lathe made over 100 years ago and still working beautifully.
Assembling all the pieces requires many hours and many tools. Some of the indoor sculptures may have nearly 100 parts in them. Some of the outdoor sculptures may have pieces over 20 feet long and weighing up to 100 pounds.
The best part of the process is setting up a sculpture for the first time. After spending weeks and in some instances years, it is time to see if the imagination can become a reality. With the first bit of movement it is apparent if the sculpture is a success or not. Many hours of balancing and adjusting will bring the piece to it’s final form. Some of the outdoor sculptures are so delicately balanced that a few flies or the morning dew will affect their posture.