ARTIST STATEMENT

 

Creating a piece of art or an original object is simply me doing what I’m supposed to be doing. When I grab a piece of copper and apply heat followed a variety of techniques to stretch, shrink, shape, etc., time and stress fade to make room for creativity and personal expression. I start by cutting out the approximate sizes to make the shapes required out of a flat piece of copper. I then apply enough heat to bring the pieces to a red-hot glow, followed by quenching them in cool water. This softens the copper to make it easier to form. As the piece is shaped, it may have to go through the heating and cooling process several times, because as I mould it, it will slowly harden into its original consistency. Once each piece is formed into its desired shape, I will attach it to other pieces by soldering, riveting, screwing or gluing it together. The actual shaping of any given piece is done through speciality equipment, such as rollers, stretchers, shrinkers, or other devices. Sometimes all it takes is a hammer and a sandbag to form the desired shape.

 

As for why I make art, it a simple desire to keep progressing my skillset. Or perhaps it could be a compulsion; because a lot of the time I don’t know what I’m going to make. Sometimes I pick up a piece of metal and let it take me where it wants to go. Fate, Destiny, or the hand of God, these all seem like plausible answers to the question.