I engage in the making of art as a means of
self-realization, and expression. I take that which exists
within me and give it shape or form, in a material and through
a process to which I am attracted. My elemental vocabulary
consists of the very basic constructs of our physical world,
the straight line, circle, square, etc. My tools are those
of industrial technology. While I am compelled to engage in
this endeavor, I do not wish to represent that I fully understand
the complete psychological nature of my own creative process.
In fact, I try not to understand it too much. I believe art
making is an endeavor, more than any other, that is a product
of the entire psyche of the maker. Art comes from that part
of the maker which cannot be fully known to the conscious
mind. I would submit that the product of an aesthetic act
transcends logic and understanding. In my case I follow a
path that leads me in one direction or another until a given
work is completed to my satisfaction. I find the medium of
machined metal to be very suitable and appropriate for my
goals.
I have always been attracted to the powerful images of purely
functional objects, especially machined objects. As early
as 1913 it had been considered an aesthetic act to take a
ready-made object and present it outside of its context, freed
from its designated function or purpose. This is the defining
attribute of the ready-made object sculpture, the found object
sculpture or the assemblage. My observations of this practice
led me to believe, that if I went back one step further than
the discovery and reorientation of the ready-made object,
to the means of production of the ready-made object, specifically
to the industrial machining techniques employed in the initial
creation of such objects, I would be able to extract, from
the industrial process, the essence of that which made the
ready-made industrial object appealing to me in the first
place. It was my belief that I could then employ those processes
and techniques for my own purposes.
Capital Letter A
Machined Aluminium
Whimsical 01 Machined Aluminium
With this intent, I acquired the machines and
began to learn the disciplines of industrial manufacturing
for my own expressive purposes. I spent 5 years learning the
machining trade in my spare time until I felt that I had the
level of skill required to execute my first piece. That piece,
Stiletto, was produced over the course of the subsequent year.
With the most basic of machining skills in hand, I now employ
those machines and other industrial techniques to create compositions
with elements that have little external origin. The elements
of my compositions are thus not only free from homage to a
specific mechanical function or purpose, they are also free
from any associations with previous social context or meaning
and they are free from associations with most art making vernaculars
to date.
Since the elements of my compositions are the sole product
of my intention, I am able to create intimate relationships
between them. The elements deeply penetrate one another and/or
react with or relate to one another in a manner that would
not be possible had I simply “found” them. I feel
that by machining my own elements, I am not limited to the
practice of simply attaching elements to one another at point
or a line along their surfaces or arranging them in a specific
spatial configuration. Machining solid metal therefore provides
me with a greater expressive potential for my purposes than
I would have with found objects, sheet metal or other planar
media. As of this writing I am continually working to develop
expertise in the use of other techniques, not typically employed
in artistic endeavors, to expand the depth and range of my
creative vocabulary.
Stiletto 2003 Nickel Plated Steel
Silence 2003 Aluminium
My work is also a statement about my skepticism
of many of the values and standards put forward by our society.
I take exception to the manner in which we currently behave
toward one another on this planet. In addition to working
toward self-realization, my work is also an effort to affect
change. I believe we presently live in a culture that fails
to nourish. We are continually bombarded with the message
that weather is something that should suit our convenience.
What is thrust upon us as being of merit is more often than
not a conjured up presentation as opposed to a fulfilling
creation. It is deficiency as opposed to proficiency that
makes the news. For these reasons we often find ourselves
in conflict with the messages put forward by our own culture.
We therefore find ourselves feeing alienated from that which
is an integral part of ourselves. We find ourselves continually
feeling challenged by external messages including many within
the realm of art. One could make a valid argument that aggresively
acting to challenge that which is detrimental to us is a worthwhile
activity. I would submit that with such an abundance of aggressive
messages being put forth in the world today the best way to
affect positive change is not to challenge the public, not
to rant and rave, but to challenge ourselves to find the most
effective means of bringing about change in a manner that
is most appropriate for this time.
I therefore challenge myself to produce work that is at the
very limits of my capabilities. I believe the more effort
and concern I put into my work, the less effort will be required
of my audience to assimilate and comprehend what I am doing.
While it is common for people to assert their beliefs, I
would submit that a behavior-based paradigm would be much
more effective in transforming our culture. I therefore witness
what I believe through my work.
Barton Machined Aluminium
Barton Machined Aluminium
By saying this, I am asserting that a work of
art may simultaneously express skepticism, and witness by
example, an alternative direction. If a work of art were the
object of consensus, something we currently suffer a lack
of, could it serve as a remedy by example? If a work of art
could witness the value of discipline, and by discipline I
mean the continued focus on that which may not bring about
immediate gratification but that which over the long term
brings about fulfillment, could such a work of manifest not
only the value of discipline but underscore the meaning of
value itself? If a work of art could communicate a sense of
that which is universal by its mere existence, could such
a work of art serve more than the self-realization goals of
the artist?
It is a widely held belief that both Modern and Contemporary
Art failed to evolve after a given period of time. Many believe
that the domain of artists up until that time was the making
of aesthetic statements, and since that time artists have
been preoccupied with cognitive statements, or the illustration
and construction of ideas, concepts, phenomena or commentaries.
I believe the execution of an idea or the manifestation of
a concept, if devoid of an aesthetic component, is a science
project or a philosophy project, an exercise in phenomenology
or a social commentary. These things are mostly cerebral in
that they are geared mainly towards contemplation by the mind,
not experience by the soul. These works cannot be assimilated
without mental effort on the part of the viewer. What I am
doing comes from my soul and it is a product of my spirit
and it is an expression of my beingness. While my work may
have an intellectual or cognitive component, that component
is merely one aspect of my work. I would submit that my work
transcends that which is typically considered intellectual
or cognitive. I therefore consider my work to be aesthetic.
DuPree Commission In Progress Q1/04 Nickel Plated Aluminium
DuPree Commission In Progress Q1/04 Nickel Plated Aluminium
Aside from what I have stated above, I also
endeavor to express an appreciation of:
precision
discipline
the elements of design
the syntax of composition
quality of execution
value
honesty of materials
manufacturing technology
craftsmanship
the power of machinery
and complexity.
I also wish to pay respect to all of the people who ever
worked in a factory, or machine shop, on a construction site,
or in support of these activities - anyone who ever made something
tangible of real value. These people gave us the world in
which we live. They witnessed the work ethic, and they produced
that which typically enriched the lives of others as much
or more than it it enriched their own lives.
Friday Night 2005
Capital Letter A 
Stiletto 2003 
Barton 
DuPree Commission In Progress Q1/04 