DRIFTWOOD SERIES

My driftwood series is primarily about shapes and contrasts. One of my favorite things to do is to scrounge for just the right pieces of driftwood. When I go to get driftwood, I am actually very selective and quite often have a particular shape in mind. I find as many approximations of that shape as I can find. I look for what I consider to be unique shapes … odd bends … swirls … geometric patterns … textures … colorations. This combined with the endless array of metal objects in varied stages of deterioration provide me with a multitude of directions available to me for sculpture pieces. Most of the work on a piece is “seeing” how those materials look and feel together. Just adjusting the angle of a piece a few degrees can make all the difference.

Often, I name my driftwood pieces. The name is usually associated with the found objects incorporated into the piece and the image that I get when I view the piece. Other times, it may be focal points in the piece to which I am drawn. Below are a few examples.


Infinity

I liked the curved sliver of stainless steel that I found. It felt like energy was flowing along its path. I positioned it to parallel the line of one of the driftwood segments. It felt like it would go on forever. I donated this piece for a silect auction to bennefit a local pre-school in Williamsville. I was very excited to hear that I friend had purchased the piece.

Sturgeon

Anne and I were driving through New York and saw a sign about the watershed with the sturgeon symbol on it. When I was looking through my driftwood pile, I saw a fragment that looked like a mouth to me. I made the rest of the piece to fit that mouth! This piece went to my friends James and Lynn for their beach cottage on Folly Beach.


Portal

I love holes … and looking into them. Look where it got Alice! This sculpture revolves around two important pieces. I couldn’t take my eyes off the stick with the orange top and the matrix on holes on it. The other important piece is the knothole. When I view the piece, I want to simultaneously look through the knothole to get an image of the orange pattern and at the same time view the pattern over the top of the knothole in an unrestricted view. I want to play with an idea. Is it the same pattern or does the different perspective make it entirely something else? It reminds me of a book I read called Einstein’s Dreams that talked about multiple realities. Maybe I am just falling down the rabbit hole and don’t realize it.


After the Fall

This sculpture is not as depressing as you might first think. Yes, I was thinking about what it might be like after nuclear confrontations … after the fallout. But, the piece is really about hope and resilience. I wanted to show the starkness associated with such an event. In the middle of all of this, is the face of a child, peeking out from behind the debris. The face is symbolic of our ability to survive.

I have talked with several people that view the piece differently … from demonic faces peering out to fallen angels. Interesting.