|
|
|
|
|
|
98F-16 "Under the Influence" | |||
| The tools lie on the floor, recently sanded softly round. Tomorrow is the test. What will happen? A revolution ensued from the last introduction of new tools, in 1995. Anticipation makes it hard for me to get to sleep. |
| Build number: | 98F-16 (Lifetime start #144) |
| Title: | "Under the Influence" |
| Date: | August 28 |
| Location: | Venice Breakwater, south side |
| Start: | 0700; building time: 10.5 hours; depart 1915 |
| Height: | 4.2 feet |
| Base: | 1.75 feet (cylindric) |
| Photography: | 1 roll E100S-135, 2 rolls TMX120 |
|
The 0700 start was required by the tide. Low clouds spotted the cityscape, and the Venice Pier foghorn announced that some were more than low as I rode south.
Testing the new tools was the main objective. Three were all new: #13 Steel Pinky, #14 Pointer, and #15 Slicer. I'd also rebuilt the #12 Sand Knife with a lighter blade and handle. It and the #15 have similar tasks and another purpose today was to determine which worked better. Patchy fog wandered here and there, narrowing the world and damping the surf's sound. There were early-morning joggers on the beach, and the usual fishermen were out on the breakwater. Good sand was available around the elbow of the storm drain. Usually I start by putting some sand inside the form and pushing it to the periphery to help retain water. I also pile some sand around the outside for the same reason. I skipped the outside sand the last time, and had no problems, thereby saving some time and energy. This time, I also skip the inside sand, but water goes through the filter faster than sand, so there's no seal and the water runs under the form, damaging the base. I rebuild that, use sand to seal the inside, and go on. Piling went well with the good sand. The man on the bike with truck innertube tires came floating by. He built the bicycle and rides up and down the beach, hardly making an impression on the soft sand. It's like something from a dream. Later, the fellow who always has his son in a big-tired wagon walked past. We chatted for a minute: he has another child coming, so is planning on buying a bigger wagon. They wandered off and I kept pounding. I picked up the Slicer and went to work. This tool has a long blade angled relative to the handle so my knuckles stay out of the work. The problem is it tends to dig in. Stronger wrists might prevent this. The Sand Knife is more easily controlled, but has limited reach due to the knuckle problem. Both tools are big and hard for me to control in delicate situations. There was no real idea for the sculpture. This is common in recent sculptures: go to work, trust some internal sand manager to track what's being done. Having had a day off from work, I had plenty of Watts to keep this working. The early star of the day was the Pointer. It's shaped like a small trowel, with a tapered blade whose tip is rounded and edges are sharpened. Its handle elevated for knuckle clearance. The sharp tapered blade and narrow tip make it very effective for detail and initial cuts which can be followed by a heavier tool for real digging. The Pointer leaves a nice, clean edge in the sand. The Steel Pinky is a more complex tool. Strengths are great maneuverability due to light weight, and accuracy of cut due to being sharpened. It's also great for delicately widening cuts with the sides of its blade. Being ambidexterous, it filled in for the right-handed slicing tools on left-handed cuts. Biggest problem is that it chatters when cutting narrow slots due to compliance in the blade. I learned to reduce this by angling it, and in so doing discovered it was good for hollowing. The wooden handle and blade carrier, attached with screws to the outside of the blade, limited the cutting angle. Perhaps I should attach the blade to the outside of the curve. Sounds like another new tool. The design started with a concave panel at the top, which spawned another small one tilted back a bit. I defined its edges with the Pointer, then went deeper with the Steel Pinky. That all sparked various other ideas. One was similar to the last sculpture, but the Pointer changed things by making thin overlapping elements possible. I'd cut the outline of a part, dig away the outside sand with a bigger tool, then use the Pointer to cut in underneath. This started the overlap. Then I'd turn the tool over and cut away the other side of the cut, leaving loose sand to fall away. In some cuts, this doesn't happen, bringing up the Pointer's biggest problem: it doesn't clean up the cut. Loop tools carry the sand away. Maybe I need to make a tiny loop tool. An element that was started as a branch became an overlap instead, with a sharp tip. The top continued around in a mostly flat panel that ended in a shelf. I planned a hole through the shelf to... somewhere. My old bag of tricks acquired new looks, brought on by the new tools. Light and fast. One objective was to carve with the tool as if it were an extension of my hand. Hand polishing takes time I no longer have. This was a partial success. Some cuts looked good, others were much too fussy as I tentatively cut to a line, then approached it more closely with small, shaving cuts. It needs to be done decisively, so it looks right. Some parts of the sculpture were entirely new. Near the top, I cut deeply in a narrowing V slot, with a small arching curve over the end. This was cut with the Sand Knife, the only tool I had with the reach necessary. It had a great top. Almost crownlike, it had sand that looped and twisted, with concavities turning into convexities, with some of the tightest turns I've ever put into sand. Under the loop was the deep V cut, whose side twisted up to the end of an outside panel. There's a lot to learn. The overall sculpture lacked integration, but in its wacky complexity was something else. A promise? The beginnings of real sculpture? It had strong presence. I used a good bit of the strength available in the sand, with overlapping floating panels and steep sections. People called it beautiful, but I'd describe it as spectacular instead. There is a competitive urge inside me. Larry Dudock had made some comments about a sculpture done by Rich Varano and Damon Farmer, of a motorcycle and riders. "Look at the overhang on the handlebars and feet!" All right, if you want overhang, I'll give you some! That led to broad overlapping floating panels, and I'm still surprised they stayed up. Photography got no help from clouds. I used the form as a backdrop to cut down on backlighting. This didn't work because the form is translucent sailcloth and just about as bright as the sky. Later, the light softened and I shot some more slides with nice golden tones. Rich and I hung around until sunset, examining the sculpture's many angles. What to do next time? More of the same.
Original: 98-Aug-28
All contents copyright 1999 by
Larry Nelson | ||||||||||
98f16rpt.htm 99 January 9