Technical Process: In Process Work

Research:

     At the Malton Gallery I observed the work of a former peer at DAAP, Emily Sites. Her work inspired a lot of things for me involving my sculptural work. She explores metal forging and welding along with the sewing of stretched fabric to her work. 

     Ernesto Neto, an artist I previously did a blog on created a piece which seems to have striking similarities to what I am attempting to create.

How To:

     As I have posted in an earlier blog regarding my forging and welding processes I explained how I created my sculpture representing both a the form of a chandelier and jelly fish. 

    In sewing fabric to metal, first choose a fabric which reflects your intentions and begin stretching and sewing. I have begun attaching fabric to my metal sculpture by using a needle and thread. It is a rather difficult process, the fabric must be stretched very tight or it will cause rippling in the fabric. Around the curves of the metal rods, it is very complicated to prevent such rippling. 

     Furthermore, hemming the edges of the fabric is a very interesting process. The fabric was rolled tightly to cause tension throughout the medium. I stitched with cross hatching creating the hem to form a border.

Artwork for Sale

Here are several of my finished pieces which are for sale. As you can see, my use of media varies widely.

 Dysfunctional Wardrobe: 2010

Plywood and found objects

4 x 2 x 1 ft.

$350

Gargoyle Wings: 2011

Wrought iron, sheet metal, leather and fabric

3 x 4 x 2 ft.

$300

Distressed Door: 2011

Antique door and digital painting

2 x 8 ft.

$200

Sodden Figure: 2010

Acrylic, India ink and graphite

6 x 12 in.

$70 

Bespattering Slumber: 2010

Acrylic, India ink and graphite

6 x 12 in.

$70

Self Portrait: 2010

Charcoal, pastel, India ink and coffee stain

18 x 12 in.

Commission Only

Out of Eden: 2010

Marker, India ink, graphite and cardboard

12 x 6 in.

$80

Beads I: 2010

Digital photography

$60

Beads II: 2010

Digital photography

$60

Paws I: 2010

Digital photography

$60

Paws II: 2010

Digital photography

$60

Paws III: 2010

Digital photography

$60

Jamaican Evening: 2008

Digital photography

$60

Jamaican Waters: 2008

Digital photography

$60

Malton and Miller Gallery

MALTON GALLERY

     Along with Jana Feverston, I attended two different gallery spaces in the upper class area of Cincinnati. The first which we adventured through was the Malton Gallery, sponsored by Summerfair. This commercial gallery is used for show casing and selling artwork of all sorts. Within the gallery was displayed a broad variety of work varying from creatively crafted oil paintings, metal sculpture with stretched fabric, molded bronze, rusted metal plates covered in aesthetically pleasing pigments, antique and vintage jewelry, carved wooden bowls, ceramic maracas, shredded glass paintings and more. The work seemed to reflect a new age style, geared towards drawing in a young audience just graduating from college.

   The exhibition currently on display is titled Lightness of Being, featuring the work of two emerging artists Abby King and Emily Sites. From what I understand, it seems as though the gallery would be very excited to review and possibly even display the work of any emerging artist freshly beginning their career in the fine arts. Emerging artists coming out of their cocoons should apply at the Malton Gallery.

     The interior of the gallery appeared both professional in some areas and also amateur. At the entrance of the gallery was a small cubbyhole like room which held about ten showcases displaying jewelry and small sculptures. The lower floor of the gallery was very open with an extremely tall ceiling casting excellent lighting down on the pieces. There was plenty of room for walking about and easily viewing the work which both hung on the walls or stood on pedestals. Some of the framed pieces on the lower level were very carelessly framed and mounted which detracted the value of the work. After walking into a small opening on the side wall, the viewer walks up the stairs where on the second floor artwork is cluttered about the small balcony. Some of the framed work sat on the floor when it could have been easily hung on the surrounding walls. The showcase boxes, walls and hand rails were chipped and dirty. It was a drastic change of space from the bottom floor to the top.

                         

     The Art Design Consultants Inc. at adcfineart.com, records a short history of the gallery.The Malton Gallery has been in business for 37 years and specializes in the best of contemporary fine art and sculpture. Malton Gallery represents over 100 local, regional, national and international artists. Malton Gallery has earned the reputation as one of the premier galleries in the area and was voted best sculpture gallery in the Midwest by Sculpture Magazine. Malton Gallery recently moved to their newly built, light filled location, designed specifically to showcase art. The outdoor sculpture garden showcases large scale sculptural works in a variety of mediums.

     Here is the information necessary to show work at the Malton Gallery. If you are an artist looking to display here you must contact Sylvia Rombis to gain further instructions:

Malton Gallery
Owner: Sylvia Rombis
3804 Edwards Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 4509
(513) 321-8614

srombis@maltonartgallery.com
maltonartgallery@zoomtown.com.

http://www.maltonartgallery.com/

MILLER GALLERY

     The second gallery space Jana Feverston and I explored was the Miller Gallery in Hyde Park.

This gallery, similar to the Malton Gallery, is also used as a commercial gallery, showing primarily large scale paintings and several smaller sculptures made of bronze and aluminum castings. Much of the work displayed is figurative consisting of both human  and animals. The work seemed to reflect a romanticism and realism style of painting geared toward those whom appreciate a traditional style of creating art.

I had A Vision

28" x 60" 

Oil on canvas

Johanne Cullen

     The interior of the gallery was professional and made good use of the space and small divided rooms. The medium sized rooms allowed for careful walking throughout the gallery to view both work that hung on the walls or stood on pedestals. All of the work was very carefully and intricately framed this was a big difference from the Malton Gallery.  The walls and pedestals were pristine clean, without chips in the paint or smudges of dirt.

     Along with all of the traditional paintings, there was also work such as that by Bruce Riley who is a florescent abstract painter. He uses large scale canvases and resin in his innovative creations. By layering both mediums he forms three dimensional patterns within the canvas.

Bruce Riley

Headlong

2011

96" x 48"

Mixed Media

     http://deltaskymag.delta.com/Destinations/Cincinnati/Shopping/Miller-Gallery.aspx is a website describing local activities and events in the Cincinnati area It states of the diverse selection of art from 60 local, international and emerging artists, will appeal to those who appreciate works of contemporary realism and abstraction. The range and the pedigree shown here are impressive, culled together in Cincinnati’s oldest gallery.

Miller Gallery
2715 Erie Avenue
Hyde Park Square
Cincinnati, OH 45208
(513) 871-4420

Monday, By appointment
Tuesday-Saturday 10-5:30
Sunday 11ish-2ish

Contact@millergallery.com

http://www.millergallery.com/

Anyone who creates work which reflects the traditionalism of this gallery should apply. If interested in showing your work at Miller Gallery follow these instructions:

Co-Owners: Gary Gleason & Laura Miller Gleason
Gallery Director: Rosemary Seidner

1. Emailed submissions are preferred.

If you have a website, please include the URL.

If you do not have a website or images accesible online, please send small image files.

Submit to: contact@millergallery.com 

Use artist submission in the subject line, or your email will most likely be deleted along with our daily spam.

2. All portfolios/slides/ materials submitted that you wish returned MUST include a self addressed stamped envelope with the proper postage.

3. Please include pricing, sizes, mediums, exhibition history and public and private collections as applicable. Any personal information and philosophy as it relates to your work is always interesting and reviewed.

4. Please include gallery affiliations, past and current with contact information.

Technical Process of Forging Metal

In forging wrought iron metal, the artist must first saw the rods to the correct sizes. Most wrought iron initially comes as extremely long poles which are approximately ten feet tall. After preparing the metal to the accurate sizes, the metal must be inserted into the already lit and burning forge. The wrought iron must stay in the forge for several minutes until the metal is red hot. Once red hot, the metal can be carefully removed when the artist is properly wearing the correct protection (i.e. protective jacket, safety glasses, pants and heat resistant gloves). The wrought iron can be bent on the anvil but either monotonous hammering or bending on the slots available of the anvil. After the metal is formed in the desired shape, cool water must contact the metal until it has stopped steaming. Then the artist is capable of handling the now cooled metal while still wearing protective gloves.

Here are several images of my latest wrought iron creation. This piece will be covered in a stretchy mesh fabric, illuminated from within and suspended at eye level. This work in progress in far from completion, the end product will be a piece with derived inspiration from by Ernesto Neto, Lee Bontecou and the form of a jellyfish and chandelier.

Here are some rough in progress photographs to give you further understand of the design. Current size: 3 x 2 x 2 ft

Here is one final image to give you a visual of the size.

My Master Pieces

Gargoyle Forged and welded rod iron, sewn mesh fabric, leather belts and sheet metal. (3x4x2)

I created these wings for my Intro Sculpture class in my Junior Year.

Pending Idealiations of Ernesto Neto and Lee Bul

What am i currently entranced by? Where do I was my art to lead me? A sculpture I foresee myself creating deals with a chandelier form similar to that of a jellyfish. The spine or skeleton of the structure will be made of forged and welded rod iron. mesh fabric will be stretched and sown to the metal bars. Hanging from each of the twisting spines will be different sizes of fabric sacks filled with sand or cotton.

The artist I am currently researching is Ernesto Neto. He creates sculptures similar to the hanging sacks I am looking to create. Not only does he display his work in gallery spaces but also he permits other senses from the audience to come into play. Often he fills his pieces with spices or herbs sending out scents to the viewer, they can also touch and feel the work. his work is very interactive by either walking through the piece or becoming connected with it.

Furthermore, my work differs from that of Ernesto Neto in his use of color. Not all of his works are vibrant in color, but sometimes he uses a palette which is very different to my own preferences. Even though his color isn't a preference within my own work I find his use of pale and light color very fascinating. But when he uses neutral colors I am greatly inspired by his process and plan on attempting such in my own work. Not only does his work display chandelier like structures but also the drooping/sagging sacks beneath it. Also, He uses primarily nylon in his installations while filling them with sand which causes a certain kind of tension within the piece. I am attempting to portray a similar kind of tension through the stretched fabric inn my sculpture.

I was initially inspired by the form of the chandelier due to three different significant experiences.

Firstly: for my last sculpture class last quarter I had to research and artist for a Power Point presentation. I discovered the artist named Lee Bul who creates disintegrating neutral toned chandeliers which hang from the ceiling with draping metal and glass beads. Lee Bul uses so much of the draping effect that for the longest time I was convinced the material was fabric.

Secondly: In that same class, another student created a sculpture similar to a hot air balloon which also had hanging bottles filled with liquid. The tension and weightiness between the two pieces was incredible. I was fascinated by her cleverness.

Thirdly: I was at the Newport Aquarium for my four year anniversary with my fiance and I could not stop watching the Jellyfish swim about aimlessly. There tendrils twisting underneath them and being carried by the water. Their orange and yellow transitioning of colors and their movement left me breathless. Particularly the Sea Nettle Jellyfish.