Older Work: Fabricated Copper Sculpture
A friend asked about my metal sculpture. So I’m showing work from 1990. I was in art school at the time. This piece is called “Joseph, Joseph” and is a tribute to Joseph Beuys. I wrote the poem. I etched the words and brush strokes in copper panels. I created piano hinges by hard soldering (silver soldering) brass tubes to the edges of the copper. I pierced a window with a jeweler’s saw and riveted a Xerox on acetate of Beuys from his performance of “I Like America and America Like Me”. Patina, oil paint, real sterling silver leaf, and Damar varnish completed the piece. Cool note: Damar varnish protects metal patina for 17 years without yellowing. I’ll use it again.
This piece is a great example of a series of books I did at the time. I did one and my uncle Walter, an art curator, said that it was great and told me to do as many as I could as fast as I could. This was one of the pieces from that series.
My sculpture professor hated them. In my final art critique with my fellow students he said “I hope you know they will be considered craft”. Please understand that in art-school-speak “craft” = “crap”. Gee, how come women’s art is called craft and men’s art is called art?
When I turned 40 I felt more librated from this conflict. I decided to just do whatever art I felt called to do. When I die I will leave behind a cache of objects I created that give witness to my spirit, my living, my soul. That’s good enough for me.
This piece is a great example of a series of books I did at the time. I did one and my uncle Walter, an art curator, said that it was great and told me to do as many as I could as fast as I could. This was one of the pieces from that series.
My sculpture professor hated them. In my final art critique with my fellow students he said “I hope you know they will be considered craft”. Please understand that in art-school-speak “craft” = “crap”. Gee, how come women’s art is called craft and men’s art is called art?
When I turned 40 I felt more librated from this conflict. I decided to just do whatever art I felt called to do. When I die I will leave behind a cache of objects I created that give witness to my spirit, my living, my soul. That’s good enough for me.
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