Passages

Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT Scholar Works

Theses

Thesis/Dissertation Collections

4-17-1995

Passages

Steven Kaplan

Follow this and additional works at:

http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please [email protected].

Recommended Citation

ROCHESTER

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

A Thesis

Submitted

to the

Faculty

of

The College

of

Imaging

Arts

and

Sciences

In

Candidacy

for

the

Degree

of

MASTER OF FINE

ARTS

PASSAGES

by

Steven M. Kaplan

APPROVALS

Adviser: William Keyser

Date:

s.- ,

~)~

.

c; :)

Associate Advi,?yr:

Ri=;o-:'

c"""h'""a"'"rd::...:.T.::a....

nn

....

e,...n~

_

Date:

..s:'j

2.(;

I

9

r

~l

Associate A<;lvisrr

Y:!.!;~n.::d~ell:=....:rCa=r.st:;:;.le;,-..,...-

_

Date:

)

J

fV\..-u)/

!}

2,

3

DepartmentCha~'

:son: Michael White

Date:

t;,

~LY";-I

I,

Steven Kaplan

, hereby deny permission to the Wallace

Memorial Library of RIT, to reproduce my thesis in whole or in part.

I

request to be

contacted each time a request for reproduction is made.

I

can be reached at the following

address:

96

Country Club Lane

Belmont,

MA 02178

Date:

y

1

Z7

f-!..q....::.-c)_ _

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Itendto _{base my}arton an emotionI have

had,

am

having

ormighthope tohave. I

usuallyreflectuponthe_manyexperiencesthatmake me whatIam. Itis veryimportantto

know whatIam, soimportantthatI wantto express parts of me. There is the

"baggage"

that_{I carry} with me, this is all _{my life} happenings. I do not care to _simply open the

suitcase andletpeople rummage through

it,

I prefertoreveal bitsandpieces,

hoping

to

create adialogue betweenmyselfandtheviewer. I hopethat the viewertakesinterest in

whoIamandhasquestionsforme. Each individual experiencesaplethoraof_activityand

as socialbeingswe want to shareour experiences. Thepast gives us a reality, a "check

and

balance"

ofhowtocontinue_makingsense out of ourexperiences. Since my workis

continuouslychanging,Iseeitas atrueexpressionof_my ownlife.

Iuse the

history

of art as a resource. Someof_my ownthoughts andfeelings may

have beencaptured

by

another artistinanothertime. SometimesI amanxiousto seehow

othershaveexpressed_somethingthatconcernsme, thatIcare_{to express,}yet at othertimes

I amfearful oftheirview. The _curiosityiswhathelpsmeto continue.

Seeing

someone

else'sworkisanother "checkand

balance"

which actsto initiate deeperthought _{into my}

need to be expressive. Someone else's work can provide a departure point or it can

dissuademetotally.

Neitherthe

history

of artnorthepersonalpast canbe_completely isolated fromone

another. As an artist, one is committed to _{understanding} as much about a subject as is

possible. Thisrequires personal reflection andhistoricalreference. It isnot enoughto_rely

on_onlyonepointofviewbecauseart shouldbetruthfulandmeaningful. In

history

we can find truth, inourselves we canfindmeaning.

Essay

on 'The Past".

May,

1991

Iwishtothank the_manypeoplewhohavesupported me and given metheconfidence

topursue_{my dreams. I especially} thankMom and

Dad,

David Jr. and

Clare,

Nanny

and

Cy,

Gamand GampsandSuzannewho havegiven me allthe loveintheworld.

Whitey

Morange,

William

Keyser,

Richard

Tannen,

WendellCastleandRichardHirschwhohave

inspired,

encouragedandinstructedme andtheirsincere guidancehas beenatrueprivilege.

I also wishto thank_my

friends,

family

members and educators who are responsible for

making upthewonderful contentsof_{my "baggage".}

PREFACE

I have been exploringtheideaof passage. Passagecan mean_manythings. There is

physical passage: a_place,a_structure, a passageway. There isalsothepassage of_time,of

change,of growth and ofdecay. This workrepresents arite ofpassage: a_celebration, a

ceremony,aritualaswellas a

journey

.

As Iwork,Ithinkabout wood as a natural_resource, as a commercial product and as a

living

system. Process is crucial. Thetype of woodI useis very important.

Choosing

freshly

harvested trees, kiln dried lumber or

fallen,

decayed parts is alarge part of _my decision making process. I

try

to find an appropriateness for the material, constantly

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

APPROVALS

ACKNOWLEDGMETS

_iii

PREFACE

v

LIST OFPLATES _vii

THEWORK 1

A Passage for Light A Passageofthe

Burning

Four Passages

HISTORICAL/ INTERPRETIVE 12

WORKS CITED ₁₈

LISTOF PLATES

Plate _Page

1. A Passage for Light ₁

2. A Passage ofthe

Burning

₃

3. Detail: Four Passages ₅

4. Detail: Four Passages ₇

5. _{Detail: Four Passages 9}

6. Detail: Four Passages ₁₀

7. Four Passages _\i

The Wotk

A Passage for Light

It is mostappropriate to discuss the work in chronologicalorder. I exhibitedthree

sculptures in the show. The firstsculpture was made

during

thefall quarter. A Passage

for Light developed after athesis committee _meeting in which it was suggestedI do not

limit_my investigationofgates, arches and passagesto a prescribedfunction. A Passage

for Light attempted to address this issue specifically.

During

the same time, I was

consttucting anothet sculpture,

Arch,

which used the atch _{only in form} and did not

functiontopermithumaninteraction. I cannotemphasize enoughtheimportanceofthese

twosculptures onthedirection of_mythesiswork.

Plate 1. A Passage for Light

2

APassage forLightwas constructedin fourparts (seeplate 1). The large ball like

form was carvedfrom a solid piece ofcottonwood _using a chain _saw, a wood _carving

blade attachmentforarightangle _grinder, gouges and a portable power planer. The large

conewas turnedonalatheout of a section of a greenwalnut

log

afterI drilled a 44"

long

holethroughthecenter. This Iachieved

by

_welding an augerbitontotheendof a steel rod

and_mountingthebit ina 1/2"

portable electricdrill.

By

_usingtheholeas a center

line,

I

mountedtheroughedblank betweencenters of alathe. Inordertoenlargethediameterof

theholethrough the cone afteritwas _turned,Iforged aballontheend of a steel rod and

reamedtheredhotrod through the_{preexisting hole. The}entire

burning

operationtook5

hoursand proved_veryeffective .

Thethreeringsaroundthecone wereintroduced inorderto_visuallyadd more weight

tothecone.

They

were not part oftheoriginal plansbut Iwas eagertoresolvetheproblem

of one object_clearly toolarge fortheotherinsuch atight composition. Therings were

radial slicesfroman oaklog. Theslices were_simplycutfromthelog. In ordertomount

theringsonthecone I calculatedthe diameterofthe thecone atthepoint of contact and

establishedthedegreeoftaper. Ona

jig

I set_uponthe_{Bridgeport milling}machine,I cut

the slices into truecircles as well as cutthe inside taperand diameterto form the ring.

Mounting

thecone andrings ontotheballprovedtobethemostdifficultproblem. This

projectwas _{my first} attempt at_pinning two pieces of green wood together. Since one

piece was comprised_mainly of short_grain,itpresented a real challenge. Theresult was

rather sloppy.

Later,

for A Passage ofthe

Burning,

I developedamuchbettersystemfor

pinning.

Thefinalcomponentforthissculpture consisted of a solid walnut

ball,

_{approximately}

10"

in

diameter,

splitapart and placed within a narrow ring. The ball was turned green

early in the quarter, kept inside to promote _checking andlater split and burned. This

componentcamefromthenarrativethatbegantotakeplacethroughoutthe_makingofthe

piece. I thoughtitwas_{very important}that theholethrough the conefocusonsomething.

Theentire sculpture reminds me of a_magnifyingglass. Whateversource oflightwas able

toburnaholethroughthecone alsofocusedontheobject ontheground andburnedthatas

APassageofthe

Burning

Ibeganworkon APassageofthe

Burning

(seeplate

2)

sometimein themiddle of

thefallquarter. I hadthegoodfortunetowork with alocalsawmill and cut a300year old

walnuttreethatwasgiventome. Soonafter_sawingthe

log

I began

thinking

how Icould

usethe

big

equipmentto_my advantage. I wantedtouse

big

timbers. I hademployedthe

use of stairs_manytimes_{in my} earlier workandfeltthenotion of stairs could enhancethe ideaofpassage on_{many different levels. Unlike any}othersculpture I had made

before,

both theimage andtheconcept came tomeimmediately.

Continuing

ontheidea of not

allowingactual_use, Ienvisioneda smallball atthe

top

ofthestairs and a groove_running down instead oftreads. Once I had the sketch on paperI begantomake a model. Just

after_{completingthe model,}inwhichI chose aburned

finish,

Iheardnews that thelocal

sawmillhad burnedto theground.

Fromanother_sawmill, Ipurchasedtwo8"xl2"oaktimberswhichI cutinto lengths

of 6'

,5', 4'

3

',2' and 1'

long. These pieces formed the staircase. I also purchased two

6"xl2"

Oaktimbers thatformedthearch. The arch consisted oftwovertical postswith

integraltenons_measuring 8' 6"to the shoulders. The lintel measured3'6"

with mortises

cuttoacceptthe tenons. Sincetheposts were anchoredto thestaircase unit viamechanical

fasteners andforthe purpose oftransportationI chose nottopin thejoints ofthe lintel.

The six stair pieces were positioned

by

a_pinningsystemI developedthatwould allowfor

expansion and contraction as well asthe_{build up} of rust onthemetal pins. Ifabricateda

drilling

jig

withtwo_pinningpointsthatwould allow metoput as_{many holes inthe timbers}

as neededto

keep

each unitinplace. Thesize ofthedrilled holewouldacceptcommercial

steelpipewitha 3/4"

o.d. and a 5/8"

i.d. Theentire

jig

functionedthesameas a

doweling

jig

only Icould produce_{matching holes}ontheface oftimbers that wouldbe stacked in

place as opposedtoontheedges. Iused_commerciallyavailable

5/8"

threadedrodinplace

of woodendowels.I previouslycalculatedtheexact positionthepins wouldgo so astonot interferewiththe_carvingofthegroove.

threadedrodin3' _{sections with washersand nuts. I}

made a

drilling jig

thatwould accept a

2"

forstnerstyle plumbers bitwith an 18" extension. When mounted, the

jig

wouldallow

me to _{accurately drill through the} 12"

timber and into the next timber to insure proper

alignment without guess workorneed tomeasure. I _{successively drilled}through each of

thetour timberswhich allowed meto runthe threadedrodthrough the twouprights atthe

second and fifthtread timbers. Since the washer and nut were to be recessed, I used a

templateandroutertomakea2 1/2"

deep by

4 1/2"

diameterrecess on each oftheoutside

timbers.

The ballthatis mountedonthe

top

treadwasturnedfrom a solid piece of green oak

and mounted with the same metal pin system usedtoposition the stairs. The groove was

carved_usinga chainsaw andthe _{carving blade}attachmentforarightangle grinder. After

alltheconstructionand _assemblywas complete Iused a propanetorch toburntheform.

Plate3. Detail: FourPassages

FourPassages

Fourpassages wasasculpturethatdevelopedovera period oftwomonths. Atsome

point earlierintheyearIhelpeda_{fellow Graduate}studentfindrottenlogs fora projecthe

was _working on in Glass. In our travels through the woods we came across a large

Cottonwood

tree about three feet in diameter and 10 feet

long,

_{completely hollow}

throughout_{its length (see}plate3). Soonafter_seeingthe

log

Imadearrangementsto

bring

it to school. The

log

satoutside the wood _{shop for} quite sometime. I enjoyed _many

qualitiesofthe

log,

its_{scale,texture,}and_{its ability}toact as a passage on so_{many different}

levels. I saw children_play on the

log

andcrawl throughit. I thoughtmost about how

nature fashioned the

log

without human intervention. I decidedthe

log

would be one

componentinasculptureinwhichalltheother componentswould_{pay homage}to therotten

hollow log.

I began sketchingvarious

"tubes",

each onefabricated differently. I sketchedtubes

made from solid wood planks to others made from cardboard and other such _wood-by

products. I knew fromthe

beginning

that thescale of each objecthadtobesimilarin size

to the_{log. I became very}concerned withthe_{relationship between}thefabricatedtubesand

natural log. The notion of raw material and thepassage into commercial by-products

became my focus.

I started

fabricating

alarge cylinderthatwould _{eventually become}one pieceinthe

seriesbutwouldfirstact as a

jig

forwhichI could make alaminatedspiral

3'

in diameter

and

10'

long. Thecylinder consisted of six

3'

diameterplywood_{discs equallydistributed}

over a

10'

lengthwithnotches cut around the_{diameter every 1} 1/2" thatwould accept 1

1/2"

x 1

1/2"

x

10'

battens. Thecenter of eachdiscwas drilledtoaccepta

2"

steelpipe so

thattheentirefixturecouldberotatedonitscenteraxis. Eachpine_stripwaspre-drilledand

screwedto theplywood discs. The

jig

complete, I began

developing

a_clampingsystem

that would enable me to get even pressure throughout the 60' of_{running length} of the

Plate4. Detail: Four Passages

"Spiral"

From the

beginning

I thought the laminate should be wide stock but rather thin,

almost shell like. I chose 12"

wide 1/10" thick

hickory

veneer. I calculated4plys would

give me enough strength and enoughvisual massfortheshell. Icalculatedthe total length

of each_plywas_{approximately} 60'

inorder toachieve ahelix3' in diameterandtenfeet

long

withenoughloopstohaveasenseofclosure. _{Before purchasing}theveneerI laid 12"

wide stripsof

1/8"

Masoniteovertheformto

help

make_{my decisions. Once I}finalizedthe

calculationsIpurchasedtheveneerandbegan

testing

_clampingmethods.

After

investigating

various optionsI decidedthemostappropriate_wayformetoglue

up four

layers,

eachlayer sixty feet

long,

was to glue_upthe entire pieceinone attempt. I

8

excitingas an all or_nothingapproach. I choseto laminatethe spiral _usingplywood cauls

3/8"

thickcut to2 1/2"

x

16"

strips. When placed acrossthe lamination skewed offthe

axis of_{the cylinder,} even _clamping pressure could be achieved

by

_screwing the ends of

each_stripto thebattens. Iputthe cauls as closetogetheraspossible. Inordertoachievea

60'

long

lamination,

I butt jointed short sections endto end and reinforcedthejointwith

duckcanvas. The butt jointswere staggered on eachlayertoprevent_anyweakspots. In

orderto

keep

theentirebundleof veneerinalignment,I builtcollarstheexactdimension of

thewidth oftheveneer.

The 1/10"

hickory

veneer was somewhatbrittle as well as_verybubbly. In orderto

make each piece of veneer uniforminwidthI first hadtoflattentheveneer. I soakedthe

veneer with a mixture of glycerin and water and placed the stackbetween cauls with

newspaperbetween each layer. Fortwo weeks I changed the paper _every two days. I

truedone edge ofthe 10'

long

sections

by

_groupingthesheetsingroupsof5and_clamping

betweentwo straight edgedboards. I handplanedthe one edge trueforeach _groupand

table sawed the other edge parallel. In orderto make _matching butt joints I made a

crosscutting

jig

forthe tablesawthatwould enable me tooverlaptwoends of veneer and

pushthemacross theblade. I laidout eachpiece, calculatedthelength ofeach _starting

piecesothat thejointswouldbestaggeredon eachlayer.

West System epoxy isatwopartexothermic resin andcatalystthathasspecific cure

rates

depending

onthetemperatureand

humidity

intheworkenvironment. At verycold

temperaturesthe_epoxymixture remains uncured. Since Iwas_working onthisprojectin

thewintertimeIchosetoglue_upoutside. The glue-upteamconsistedof_{approximately} 12

people. I mixedabout 1 1/4gallons of_epoxywith 1 can of colloidal silica made

by

West

System. Thesilica acts as athickeningagentandI useditto ensureIwould not starvethe

joints due toexcessive _clampingpressureand uneven glue spreading, as well as provide

better gap

filling

properties. Once I mixed the _{epoxy I} distributed smaller amounts to

individualswhobeganspreadingtheresin onthelayersof veneer. Once each surface was

coveredwith_epoxy I made asandwich oftwolayersofMasonite on thebottom andtwo

layersonthe

top

withthefourlayersof veneerinthemiddle. Iplacedthe sandwichinthe

withthe

jig

toallow for proper placement. Withthe

help

of several assistants I began to

screw the cauls across the veneer onto the form. Four hours later I had the entire unit

clamped _up and brought back inside the wood _shopwhere the _epoxy was

beginning

to

warm up.

After 24 hours I removedthecauls andbegantoclean _upthe spiral andpreparefora

finish. I worked the entire exterior ofthe spiral while it was still on the form. I made a

simple

jig

for my circular saw that allowed me to trim theedges ofthe spiral to a line I

marked. The layersdid shiftsomewhat

during

the _glue-upsothe finalwidth was reduced

to nine

inches,

whichfunctioned well. After applyingthreecoats of_epoxy and twocoats

of poly- _{urethane to the spiral} I _{removed the} form _and began the same process on the

interiorand ontheedges(seeplate4).

10

Once I removed the spiral fromthe

jig,

I began to deal with the

jig

as a sculptural

elementintheseries. I scraped all theglueand removed all marksfromthesurfacesofthe

form. I then paintedtheinside surfaceof each ofthe 11/2" x 11/2" slats with blackpaint.

Once completed, I cut larger holes in each of the plywood

discs,

_starting with a

16"

diameter hole on one end and _{progressively}

increasing

to 28"diameter hole on the other

end.. Tocomplete thepiece I painted oneface of each oftheplywood discsso thatfrom

oneview theentire insidesurface appearedpaintedblackandfromtheotherendview_only

theblack lineswere seen ontheinside(seeplate5).

Plate 6. Detail: FourPassages "Quartered

11

After

completing

the spiral _{I felt I had}the two ends ofthe continuumrealized. The

formfit insomewhere _verycloseto thespiral andwhat neededtoberealized was a pieceto

follow nature's _{hollow log. Thefinal form I}

made for Four Passages consisted of a

log

10'

long

about2 1/2' indiameterthatI firstquartered_usinga chain saw. Next I removeda

tnangularsection_{fromeachofthequartered sections. I}

carved a slight_{concavity into}each

ofthe _{quartered sectionsandthenreassembled the}

log

with 1"

gaps between each section.

I banded the

log

tight with a _strapping machine and then replaced the straps with steel

cable. The _strapping machine allowed for tremendous compressive force and after

replacing the straps withcable, I replacedthe 1" spacers with wooden wedgesthat I could

tap

intoplacetoachieveevengreatertensioninthecable.

Having

completedthispiece, the

continuum wasalsocomplete(seeplates6and7).

Historical /Interpretive

IcametotheSchoolforAmericanCraftsmen inordertolearntechnical_proficiency

andunderstandthepropertiesof_wood,metaland clay.

My

firstattempts at_makingthings

focused ontechnical issues and

developing

a sense of structural integrity. Soon_after, I

began to

develop

a personal vision and broaden my vocabulary to include sculpture.

Generating

ideaswas neverdifficult but

defining

themwas. Iwantedtounderstand whatI

would be making.

Unfortunately,

understanding my work prior to its completion was

impossible.

During

the period oftime I was

developing

_my thesis work, both in the

beginning

thinking

about

it,

andlaterwhile_making

it,

Inowbelievemuchoftheworkwas

a straggletopresent a part of myself. Not justa personal style ofworkbutmore akin to

work about_{myself, my} ownexperiences andthoughts. I see now morethan everbefore

how personaltheworkwas andhow determined Iwas tomakethework stand onitsown.

Thesuccess and/or failureof_myeffortscan_{only be}recognizedif Imake

known(mostly

to

myself)whattheseworks represent andhow Icameto

develop

them.

The ideaof passagebecamecentralto_myworkthrough theprocessof_{paring down}

alarger pool ofideas.

My

original sketches_{included many drawings} ofboth gates and

arches. I realizedthat gates and arches wereforms representative of a physical type of

passageway

but,

"passage"

is a much more_encompassingterm. Passageextendsbeyond

thephysical. Passage refers to the personal

journey

I was _{experiencing,} the process of

manipulatingwoodfromone

thing

intoanother andthecycles ofbothnature andtime.

I came to Rochester Institute of

Technology

with a broad based liberal arts

background.

My

undergraduatedegree_{in sociology/psychology} was a

big

part of_{my life}

for fouryears. I studieddifferentcultures, ritual behaviorand socialinteraction. Atthe

same period oftime Iwasfascinated

by

_my art

history

_{classes, specifically architectural}

history

and modern sculpture.

The work

by

severaldifferentpeoplehas been important in the

development

and

understanding of_my work. The architect Frank Lloyd Wrightwhose work isnot_only

innovative andimpressivewrote _extensivelyabouthisownworkandideas.The sculptor

13

NaumGabowasone ofthe

leading

artistsintheconstructivistmovementandauthoredthe

Realistic Manifesto. Thesociologist

Erving

Goffman brought Symbolic Interactiontoan

unprecedentedlevel of academic_notoriety as well asdevelopedanentire _vocabularyfor

analyzing social situations that is taught throughout theworld. The work of Gabo and

Wright as well as_many otherartists _{has influenced my sensitivity} andawareness to the

process of_makingart while thework ofGoffmanand otherSymbolic Interactionistshas

given me the _ability to gather and evaluate critical informationfrom my ownlife and

surroundingswhichbecomesthecontent of_mywork.

Frank Lloyd Wright devoted his entire careerto

developing

ideas useful in both

constructing architecture andtheenvironmentthat surroundsus. Wright'sworkextends

beyond thephysical andthe genius ofthismanisstill

being

realizedtoday. In

1988,

an

exhibition entitled Frank Lloyd Wright In the Realm of Ideas was organized

by

the

Scottsdale Arts Center Associationand the Frank Lloyd WrightFoundation. The show

contained quotes

by

Wright himself from both speeches and writings. I was

lucky

to

view the show and was _very moved

by

his work. It is impossible to site his many

contributionsto_{society but worthy}tonotethose thatstrikea chord within me. Wrightwas

particularly drawnto

building

on a sitethatothers wouldfind difficult.

My

prescription for a modern house:

first,

a good site. Pick one that has features

makingforcharacter. . . . Thenbuildyourhousesothatyoumaystilllook fromwhere

you stood upon all that charmed you and lose nothing of what you saw before the

housewas

built,

butsee more (PfeifferandNordland

1988,

44).

Wright's mastery was never more exemplified than in the residence in Bear

Run,

PA.

knownasFallingwater.

Wrightwas atrueadvocateofthemachineage,

Themachineisamarvelous simplifier. . . andmaybethemodern emancipator ofthe

human mind. ... I wanted to realize genuine new forms

true to the spirit of great

traditionandfound Ishouldhavetomakethem;not_onlymakeformsappropriateto the

old

(natural)

andto thenew

(synthetic)

materials,butI shouldhavetosodesignthem that themachine(orprocess) thatmustmakethemcould and would makethembetter

than_anythingcouldpossiblybemade

by

hand(Pfeifferand

Nordland,

3).

Not_onlywasWrightunderstanding ofthemachineage butsympatheticto the individual

quality of different materials,

"Bring

out the nature of the materials,

let their nature

14

your

designs; they

_areall

by

nature

friendly

andbeautiful"(Pfeifferand

Nordland,

48). In

all ofWright's_abilityasan

innovator

hewas alsoa_visionary,

Thereisno such

thing

ascreative except

by

theindividual.

Humanity,

_especiallyon a

democratic

basis,

lives_only

by

virtueofindividuality. Thewhole_{endeavor, the}whole

effort of oureducationand our_government, shouldbetodiscover

first-then cherish, useandprotecttheindividual(Pfeifferand

Nordland,

89).

In

1920,

at the age of _{thirty, Naum Gabo} and his brother Antoine Pervsner

presentedtheRealistic ManifestoandtheinventionofConstructivismas weknow ittoday.

Throughouthiscareer Gabopresentedhimselfas an artist and an enigmatic_thinker,

"By

meansofconstructivetechniques

today

we are ableto

bring

tolight forces hidden innature

andto realizepsychic events. . . We do notturn

away from nature,

but,

onthe contrary,

wepenetratehermore_profoundlythannaturalisticart ever was abletodo"(Read

1957,

7).

Gabowas anadvocateofindustrialmaterial and modern_{technology, but}more

importantly

he

believed,

"GrowthandFormaretwoinseparableconcepts: thereisnogrowthinnature

thatdoesnotfollow a principle of

formation;

noformthat isnottheresult of a process of

growth"

(Read

1957,

8). Gabo states,

"Abstract"

is notthe core ofthe constructiveidea Iprofess. The ideameans moreto

me. It involves thewhole complex ofhumanrelationtolife. It isa mode of_thinking,

acting,perceiving,andliving. Theconstructive_philosophyrecognizes_onlyone stream

inourexistence_life.

Any

thing

or action which enhances

life,

propelsitand addstoit something in the direction of _{growth, expansion,} and

development,

is Constructive

(Read

1957,

8).

My

respect for these two men lies not _only in their physical

accomplishmentsbutalsointheirintellectual endeavors. Bothmenhaveaffected_society

andtheirworkistestimony. _{The ability} toaffect _societycanbegood orbad. In orderto

understandthe _{relationship between}social structure andthebuilt

(designed)

environmentI

have employed techniques _{in sociology} to

help

me organize a system of analysis.

Symbolic Interactionists look at the behavior of _{everyday life}

believing

that social

conventions underlie

daily

activity. Thisformof_sociologyconsidersthehuman _capacity

to symbolize as well as define the notion of "self and _{study linguistics.} This type of

sociologynecessarilyuses amicroscopeto

identify

thesmallbitsand piecesthatmake_up

totality

of the significant variables

influencing

behavior,

includes not _only thephysical environmentbutalsothesocial structureand cultural attributes ofthepeople who useit ".

The

designer,

craftsman or artistis responsiblein largepartfor shaping and_coloring our

threedimensionalworld. It is importanttorealizethatwehavethepowertoinfluencehow

people use and respondto the environmentwehavecreated. Toquote theanthropologist

Clifford Geertz

(1973, 5), "Believing,

withMax

Weber,

thatmanis an animal suspended

in webs of significance he himself has _spun, I take culture to be _{those webs,} and the

analysisofittobethereforenotan experimental scienceinsearch oflawbutaninterpretive onein search of meaning". It is thisline of

thinking

I findmost intriguing. I chose to

pursue

Sociology

to

help

make sense of the world in which I

live,

I chose to make

sculpturetoexpresssome ofthosefindings.

In theoriginal draft ofthis thesis _{I deferred any commentary} on the _meaning and

development of_my thesiswork. That draftwas submitted_only several months afterthe

work was completed andI don'tthinkitwas possible tounderstandthefull impactofthe

work so soon afterits completion.Now Isee atremendous amount of personalinformation

inthe work. I see thework as a snapshot of_{my life.} I remember

hearing

inart

history

classthephrase

"Picasso'

sblue

period"

IguessI see_mythesiswork as a periodin my life.

Thefirst sculptureI completed and wantedtobe a part of_my show wasA Passage For Light. When ImadethatsculptureI hadadialoguein mymindthatsome greatforce

was able to burn a hole through just the cone. I think now thatit looks more like a

microscopeand perhapsitwasthe

beginning

of_myownself study. Perhaps Iwas

looking

througha giantmicroscopeand_seeingthefragmentedpiecesontheground as a metaphor

fortheprocessIwasbeginning. Iremember

tearing

myselftopieces_agonizingover what

I was

doing

in graduate school, why I was even_making sculpture. Perhaps the circle containingthe fragmented sphere was a sign of strength, or perhaps the confines of an

academicinstitution. Whateverthemeaning ororiginalintent Isee _{something different}

nowandthatI like.

The second sculpture I completedwas A Passage ofthe Burning. This piece still

16

ambiguity. There is_{something both}curiousanddelightfulabout aformthatissimple yet

thought provoking. _{This is}

admittedly risky business. There is a fine line between

ambiguityanduncertainty. Iwasinterested_{in creating}ratherstraightforward formswith a

bitof mystery. What Ioncebelieved was_{mystery I}nowbelievewas uncertainty. Perhaps

theball in A Passageofthe

Burning

represented me. The

impending

movement symbolic

of_myplungeintotherealmof_sculpture,theburnttexturea metaphorforthe

difficulty,

or

hard knocks ifyou_will,oftheroad ahead.

The group Four Passageswas a pivotal pointintheachievement of_mythesis. Itwas

during

the timeI was_making theworkthatI realized how meaningfulthewordPassage

wastoallof_my workand_{I became acutely} aware of_myown passage. Ibegantoseethat

all ofthisworkwas_{coming from} someplaceI knew. I didn't really know whereitwasbut

itwasfamiliar. Ithink thiswork exemplifies_mystruggletodealwithboth

technology

and

nature. _{It is probably my} mostdirect confrontation withtheconstructivistwithin me. I

now seethe_{underlying meaning}ofthePassagesthatnever occurredtome earlier. Perhaps

thefourpassages were

truly

representative of_my ownlife. The

log

was before I gained

muchknowledge inthe_wayof_{craft, the}quartered

log

wasthemiddletechnologicalground

but

definitely

sculptural. The 2x4 formthepart of_{my life}whenI built housesand

finally,

the spiral, the technologicalinfluence.

An importantaspect of_mysculptureswasthe theprocessinwhich

they

were made.

Inot_onlyenjoyed_working on alargescalebutfound itmade_my taskmore challenging.

Figuring

outthe mechanics of each operation orjust moving suchlarge objects gave me

great satisfaction.

Choosing

materialswas crucial to the success ofFour Passages but

howIprocessedthemwastheoriginalconceptofthesculpture.

I believe myworkachievedadefinitelevelof success althoughthereare somethings

thatcouldbeimproved. A Passage for Light andA Passage ofthe

Burning

are

formally

strongpieces. The play ofbalancein A Passage for Lightworks well to

help

draw the

viewerintothepiece. If_anythingcouldbechangedIthink thescaleofthecone shouldbe

increased. A Passage ofthe

Burning

uses the

impending

motionofthe ball todraw the

viewer closer. This sculpturewasnever changedfrom its inception.

17

objects created

big

gaps in the conceptual _{flow among} the pieces.

Similarly,

the

presentationofthefourpassagesinasinglerow_negativelyreinforcedthegapsthatexisted.

The first addendum tothat sculpture would be the inclusion of a fifth passage which I

omittedfromthis show due to timeconstraints. The fifthtubewas conceived as ahollow

tube tenfeet

long,

three feet in diameterandconstructed

by

_{coopering large boards. The}

presentation could have beenimproved if Iwas abletoplace onetubeineach ofthefour

corners ofthe_{galleryunfortunately,}that toowas notfeasible. Although Iam proud ofthe

spiral as a_{technical accomplishment,thequartered andhollowed}

log

was

by

farthemost

successful component of Four Passages. The quartered

log

is full of tension and

explosiveness. Ofthe threemanufactured_components,thequartered

log

wastheeasiestto

manufacture withtheleastamount of

thinking

and planning.

Marc Chagall stated,"If I createfromthe

heart,

_{nearly everythingworks;}if fromthe

head,

almost

nothing."

It was not for some great length of time that I realized what

bothered me most about_mywholethesisendeavor. I have

finally

cometo terms that_my

intentionstomake sculpture although genuine were not_exactlytrue. Fora great period of

timeIthoughtabout whatI shoulddofor mythesis. I approachedthe_makingof much of

my workfrom an intellectual activity. I denied myself (not _entirely) the pleasure of

creativitythatgrew

instinctively,

_passionatelyand emotionally. Although Ican attribute_my

experiencetothefactthat theeducational environmentfosterssuch

behavior,

Iam grateful

fortheroadIhavetraveled.

In closing, I can not emphasize enoughhow importanta period of separation has

been on _{my ability} to understand the work I made in my thesis. What I find most

intriguing

is that _every once in awhile I gain even more insight into the work. I am

constantly

bringing

newordifferentinterpretationsto theworkIcreated almostthreeyears

WORKSCITED

AgainstNature:JapaneseArt intheEighties. 1989. Exhibition Catalogue. NewYork: The

Gallery.

Beers,

Clifford. 1945. A MindthatFoundItself;anAutobiography. New York:

Doubleday,

Doran & Co. Inc.

Benezra,

Neal. 1991. Martin Purvear. Chicago: Art InstituteofChicago

Cook,

Edward. 1989. NewAmericanFurniture: The Second GenerationofStudio

Furnituremakers. Exhibition Catalogue. Boston: MuseumofFine Arts.

Cragg,

Tony. 1991. Tony

Cragg,

Sculpture. 1975-1990.

London;

NewYork: Thames

andHudson inassociationwithNewport Harbor Art Museum.

Curtis,

William. 1986. Le Corbusier: IdeasandForm. NewYork: Rizzoli.

Elsen,

Albert. 1978. Modern European

Sculpture,

1918-1945: Unknown Beingsand

Other Realities. NewYork: G. Braziller.

Fox,

Howard

N.,

ed. 1990. A Primal Spirit: Ten

Contemporary

Japanese Sculptors.

Exhibition Catalogue. Los Angeles:Los Angeles

County

MuseumofArt.

Gablik,

Suzi. 1970. Magritte. New York:Thames andHudson.

Geertz,

Clifford. 1973. The InterpretationofCultures. NewYork: Basic Books Inc.

Geist,

Sidney. 1983. Brancusi: AStudyoftheSculpture. New York:Hacker Art Books.

Goldsworthy,

Andy. 1990. HandtoEarth: Andy GoldsworthvSculpture 1976-1990.

[Leeds,

England]:

Henry

MooreCentre forthe

Study

ofSculpture.

Hertz,

Richard. 1985. Theories ofContemporaryArt.NewJersey:

Prentice-Hall,

Inc.

Jencks,

Charles. 1985. SymbolicArchitecture.NewYork: Rizzoli.

Kostof,

Spiro. 1985. AHistoryofArchitecture. NewYork: Oxford

University

Press.

Lampert,

Catherine. 1986. Rodin: SculptureandDrawings. [London]:Arts Councilof

GreatBritain.

LutgensandTarbuck. 1986. EssentialsofGeology. Columbus: Charles E. Merrill.

Maloff,

Will. 1982. Chainsaw Lumbermaking.

Newtown,

CT: The Taunton Press.

Nash,

David. 1987. WoodPrimer:The SculptureofDavid Nash. San Francisco: Bedford

Press.

Pehntr,

Wolfgang. 1973. Expressionist Architecture. NewYork: Praeger.

Pfeiffer,

Bruce. 1990. Frank LloydWright Drawings: MasterworksfromtheFrank Lloyd Wright Archives. New York: Abrams.

andGerald

Nordland,

ed. 1988. Frank Llovd Wright IntheRealmofIdeas.

Carbondale-.Southern

Illinois

University

Press.

Rickey,

George. 1967. Constuctivism: OriginsandEvolution. NewYork: George

Braziller,

Inc.

Stem,

Seth. 1989.

Designing

Furniture. Newtown: Taunton Press.

Stern,

Robert A.M. 1986. Prideof_{Place. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.}

Tsei,

Eugenie. 1991. Robert Smithson Unearthed:

Drawings,

Collages,Writings.New York: Columbia

University

Press.

Tucker,

William. The LanguageofSculpture.

Turner,

Victor,

ed. 1982. Celebration: Studies in_FestivityandRitual. Washington:

Smithsonian Institution Press.

Twombly,

Robert. 1979. Frank Lloyd Wright: His LifeandHisWork. New York:

John

Wiley

andSon.

Villiard,

Paul. 1968. A ManualofVeneering. Princeton: Van Nostrand.