Tag Archives: sculpture

Sketching with a Band Saw: James McNabb’s Scrap Wood Cityscapes

Sketching with a Band Saw: James McNabbs Scrap Wood Cityscapes wood sculpture architecture

For his MFA Thesis Exhibit last September, Pennsylvania artist James McNabb created a beautiful collection of architectural wonders using discarded wood. He describes his process as “sketching with a band saw,” and says initial intent was not to build skylines, but instead began with the creation of the individual wooden pieces which resembled tools or other strangely familiar objects. After he built nearly 250 of them in a day they collectively began to resemble a miniature city. You can see many more works from the exhibition on his website.

Scott Carter’s Sculptural Medium: Deconstructed Gallery Walls

Scott Carters Sculptural Medium: Deconstructed Gallery Walls sculpture installation furniture drywall

Before inviting Scott Carter to show in your exhibition space, be sure you’ve done your homework and have a stellar insurance policy, the Chicago artists’ medium of choice is drywall and wood cut directly from the walls of the gallery. Blurring the lines between sculpture and installation Carter first develops digital prototypes which he then translates into the myriad components needed to construct the furniture and other sculptures that comprise each exhibition. The eviscerated and ragged walls then form the backdrop to each piece like a curious set of physical blueprints, not unlike wooden insect skeleton models you might have played with as a kid. Scott currently has work at Beers.Lambert Gallery in London through January 26th and will have another solo show there in 2014. See much more of his work via his website (flash).

By Christopher on January 21, 2013 • drywall furniture installation sculpture

The Skewed, Anamorphic Sculptures and Engineered Illusions of Jonty Hurwitz

The Skewed, Anamorphic Sculptures and Engineered Illusions of Jonty Hurwitz sculpture illusion anamorphism

Some figurative sculptors carve their artworks from unforgiving stone, while others carefully morph the human form from soft blocks of clay. Artist Jonty Hurwitz begins with over a billion computer calculations before spending months considering how to materialize his warped ideas using perspex, steel, resin, or copper.

Born in Johannesburg in 1969, Hurwitz now lives and works in London where he’s somewhat of a renaissance man, focusing both on his artwork and micro-loan website Wonga which he co-founded in 2007. His anamorphic sculptures rely on scans of objects (hands, faces, frogs) that are then distorted digitally and fabricated, but when placed in front of a cylindrical mirror the projected reflection reveals the original object. Still, other works deal with pixelated or sliced human forms that are only viewable from a single perspective. A scientist at heart, Hurwitz explained to me that his artwork is his way of “expressing calculations visually,” and also allows him to experiment with cutting-edge manufacturing and fabrication technologies. Of the more mind-bending anamorphic pieces, he shares: 

For the anamorphic pieces its an algorithmic thing, distorting the original sculptures in 3D space using 2πr or πr3 (cubed). Much of it is mathematical, relying on processing power. There is also a lot of hand manipulation to make it all work properly too as spacial transformation have a subtle sweet spot which can only be found by eye. Generally I will 3D scan my subject in a lab and then work the model using Mathematica or a range of 3D software tools. I think the π factor is really important in these pieces. We all know about this irrational number but the anamorphic pieces really are a distortion of a “normal” sculpture onto an imaginary sphere with its centre at the heart of the cylinder.

I strongly urge you to watch the two embedded videos above to get a sense of how remarkably precise each artwork appears up close. What I’ve shown you here is honestly just the tip of the iceberg; please head on over to his website, Facebook, Saatchi profile, and Youtube to see more of his work. He’ll also have a piece on display at the Kinetica art show in London in February. The photography above was taken by Niina Keks, Otto Pierratto, Richard Ivey, Alex Brenner and Jonty Hurwitz and provided courtesy of the artist.

Update: If you’d like to read more about the history of anamorphosis in art, Wikipedia has a great article, tracing the known roots of the technique back to a 1485 artwork by Leonardo da Vinci. You can also explore the anamorphism tag here on Colossal.

Update 2: In reaction to some of the commentary online regarding the historical context of Hurwitz’ work, the artist shares with us via Facebook: “I have always been torn between art and physics. In a moment of self-doubt in 2003, I wondered into the National Portrait Gallery and stumbled across a strange anamorphic piece by William Scrots (Portrait of Edward VI, 1546). Followed shortly down the isle by The Ambassadors (Hans Holbein, 1533). My life changed forever. I rushed home and within hours was devouring the works of Escher, Da Vinci and many more. In a breath I had found “brothers” in a smallish group of artists spanning 500 years with exactly the same dilemma as me. Within two months I was deep in production of my first work. My art rests on the shoulders of giants, and I am grateful to them.”

By Christopher on January 21, 2013 • anamorphism illusion sculpture

Artist Shintaro Ohata Seamlessly Blends Sculpture and Canvas to Create 3D Paintings

Artist Shintaro Ohata Seamlessly Blends Sculpture and Canvas to Create 3D Paintings sculpture painting illusion

When first viewing the artwork of Shintaro Ohata up close it appears the scenes are made from simple oil paints, but take a step back and you’re in for a surprise. Each piece is actually a hybrid of painted canvas and sculpture that blend almost flawlessly in color and texture to create a single image. The cinematic figures are sculpted from polystyrene while the backgrounds are made from traditional painting techniques. Via his artist statement:

Shintaro Ohata is an artist who depicts little things in everyday life like scenes of a movie and captures all sorts of light in his work with a unique touch: convenience stores at night, city roads on rainy day and fast-food shops at dawn etc. His paintings show us ordinary sceneries as dramas. He is also known for his characteristic style; placing sculptures in front of paintings, and shows them as one work, a combination of 2-D and 3-D world. He says that it all started from when he wondered “I could bring the atmosphere or dynamism of my paintings with a more different way if I place sculptures in front of paintings”. Many viewers tend to assume that there is a light source set into his work itself because of the strong expression of lights in his sculpture.

Ohata will have work later this year at the Akita Museum of Modern Art, and you can see much more of his work online here. (via toxel)

By Christopher on January 18, 2013 • illusion painting sculpture

Stained Glass Windows Made from Laser Cut Paper by Eric Standley

Stained Glass Windows Made from Laser Cut Paper by Eric Standley sculpture paper

Inspired by Gothic and Islamic architecture artist Eric Standley constructs intricate stained glass windows from numerous sheets of laser cut paper. His most recent work, Either Or Arch 5.1 (top), is made from over 100 sheets alone. See much more of his work in his artworks gallery. (via laughing squid)

By Christopher on January 17, 2013 • paper sculpture

A Skull Made from Repurposed Skateboard Decks by Haroshi

A Skull Made from Repurposed Skateboard Decks by Haroshi wood skulls sculpture anatomy

This incredibly detailed skull made from repurposed skateboard decks is one of several new artworks from self-taught Japanese artist Haroshi (previously) who will be opening his second solo show at Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York on January 12. Don’t miss it.

By Christopher on January 8, 2013 • anatomy sculpture skulls wood

Organic Sculptures Sanded from Hundreds of Pencils by Jessica Drenk

Organic Sculptures Sanded from Hundreds of Pencils by Jessica Drenk sculpture pencils multiples

South Carolina-based artist Jessica Drenk was born and raised in Montana where she developed an understanding and appreciation of the natural world that has since deeply influenced the course of her artistic career. Her installations and sculptures often imitate organic shapes, patterns, and textures even when using a medium that is often manufactured by human hands. Drenk’s most recent sculptures are a series called Implements, each of which begins with a mass of standard No. 2 pencils that have been tightly glued together. Using an electric sander she then molds the piece into a form that seems more likely to have originated in a dark cave or deep within the ocean than from a school desk. Of her work she says:

By transforming familiar objects into nature-inspired forms and patterns, I examine how we classify the world around us. Manufactured goods appear as natural objects, something functional becomes something decorative, a simple material is made complex, and the commonplace becomes unique. In changing books into fossilized remnants of our culture, or in arranging elegantly sliced PVC pipes to suggest ripple and wave patterns, I create a connection between the man-made and the natural.

You can find her work at Paia Contemporary in Hawaii, or Foster/White in Seattle, and see many more images over on Facebook. All images courtesy the artist. (via booooooom)

By Christopher on January 7, 2013 • multiples pencils sculpture

Artforum Magazines Carved into Dripping Waves of Color by Francesca Pastine

Artforum Magazines Carved into Dripping Waves of Color by Francesca Pastine sculpture paper

Artforum Magazines Carved into Dripping Waves of Color by Francesca Pastine sculpture paper
ArtForum #32, Unsolicited Collaboration with Brice Marden, 2012, 20 x 17 x 5 inches
artforum magazine, wood, screw, matte board, Plexiglas

Artforum Magazines Carved into Dripping Waves of Color by Francesca Pastine sculpture paper
ArtForum #35, Unsolicited Collaboration with Bruce Naumann, 2012, 41 x 14 x 5 inches
artforum magazine, wood, screw, matte board, Plexiglas

Artforum Magazines Carved into Dripping Waves of Color by Francesca Pastine sculpture paper
ArtForum #33, Unsolicited Collaboration with Frank Stella, 2012, 20 x 17 x 5 inches
artforum magazine, wood, screw, matte board, Plexiglas

Artforum Magazines Carved into Dripping Waves of Color by Francesca Pastine sculpture paper
ArtForum #36, Unsolicited Collaboration with Roni Horn, 2012, 20 x 17 x 5 inches
artforum magazine, wood, screw, matte board, Plexiglas

Artforum Magazines Carved into Dripping Waves of Color by Francesca Pastine sculpture paper
ArtForum #44, Unsolicited Collaboration with Michael Clark, 2012, 47 x 18 x 4.74 inches
artforum magazine, wood, screw, matte board, Plexiglas

Artforum Magazines Carved into Dripping Waves of Color by Francesca Pastine sculpture paper
ArtForum #45, Unsolicited Collaboration with Trish Brown, 2012, 22.5 x 18 x 4.74 inches
Artforum magazine, wood, screw, matte board, Plexiglas

In her Artforum Excavation Series San Francisco-based artist Francesca Pastine created beautiful, dripping topographies from the colorful pages of Artforum Magazine. Pastine cut each magazine layer by layer with an X-acto blade to reveal narrow bands of the pages within, in some cases interacting directly with art printed on the covers creating new hybrid artwork she refers to as “unsolicited collaborations”—which is brilliant. You can follow more of Pastine’s work on her blog and she has upcoming shows at the Halsey Institute of contemporary Art and Studio Quercus. (via junk culture)