Below this post is a short video of the sculpture collaboration I did with Alisa Looney for the Pacific Northwest Sculptors Creative Collaborations, on view starting September 1st.
It was difficult for me to create imagery that enhanced Alisa's beautiful red "Dancing Man" in cut and welded steel. I wanted to create a joint artwork that had unity of design - that is - a single image, whole in itself, where nothing can be added or taken away. After much struggle I finally succeeded!
Alisa's steel figure inspired and called me to experiment with shapes and materials in a different way that I hadn't done before. The result was that I'm envisioning a new style of sculpting. It's actually new and old. I'm returning to working in chased copper, a sculpture method I used as a student at the Rhode Island School of Design. I studied Light Metals with a Danish metalsmith named John Pripp. I loved hammering copper and silver!
I want to make smaller sculptures that will incorporate delicate figures in copper and brass screening. I love the combination of opaque figures dancing with lacy, transparent dancing figures.
One reason I want to develop a new, smaller way of sculpting figures is that I can sell them for lower prices than the $500-1500 range in my Small Wire Works in the For Sale Gallery. I hope to make pieces that someone can buy for only a few hundred dollars.
Friends, I have two questions for you to answer, that would assist me: One is if there is interest out there for smaller, less expensive dance sculptures - dancers in pairs, triads or foursomes. The second question is if you prefer hanging sculptures or standing pieces?