Division

The Division Project Continues!!!

Another update, September 2nd, 2023, I bolted Division and it’s base to a concrete footing here in Pont Aven.  Many thanks to FrenchBerry for acquiring this sculpture in their garden, I hope the guests love it!  Next is to finalize the landscaping around it.   The sculpture overlooks the town and is also overlooked itself by a public footpath.  We are quite pleased.  Below are a few photos.

I’ve made a pin on google, you can find it here.

I learned a lot on this project.  Namely, I learned all about iron contamination of stainless steel.  The sculpture is marine grade stainless steel, 316, but any contact it had with mild steel created trace marks, or tea staining.   Working with Inox is like surgery.  I love the final effects and it won’t be my last.   A quick acid bath solves most issues.   The hard part was figuring it all out in a foreign country.

We are looking forward to how the base and the sculpture patina with age.   It’s in a mild estuarine climate so we should see some salt air doing it’s thing.   I’ll post more as the patina evolves.

Continue reading below for previous excerpts on this project….

thanks for all the support…

A quick update on the 120 cm version, as of a few weeks ago today, the 23rd of July, 2023, all welding is finished and I’m working on cleaning the sculpture, fabricating a base, and have finished the concrete footing for it in the garden of Frenchberry, luxury accommodations in Pont-Aven.  For now, there’s this.

 

Keep scrolling to read the history of the project.  I’ll update this page as the project progresses.  Thanks for all the support!!

What’s the story?

The concept behind this project started a few years ago, when I was asked to develop a semi-permanent large scale public art sculpture for the Chateau de la Napoule, ultimately we didn’t proceed on the project, but over the years, it continues to draw interest.

What’s the concept?

Division is named after cell division in biology.  I was interested in the metaphorical aspects of the Division, in that no matter what we do in life, our past shapes us.  Cell division consists of one thing that splits into two perfect copies, each taking a part of the other if you will.  So while helping a friend manage a property in Cambodia, and as I was struggling with designing the form, another friend suggested I take a walk with my sketch book.  I found some coral and was enamored with how it had grown over itself.  The seed was planted.  Later, I took the hand sketches and made the 3d file, refining it as I went.

so…what happened?

Flash forward a bit, I’ve now made two physical maquettes, each about 40cm tall.  Both are INOX or stainless steel plates, articulating a curve in space with the help of some miniature all-thread bolts.  Both versions are made with the intention of proofing the success of the project for a larger scale private art commission.  The first version was made with 1mm brass all-thread interstitials, and the more recent was made with 2mm INOX.  Each required custom tools and miniature wrenches.

 

I admit, there were times when it was frustrating, but a magnifying visor was a life saver.

The very first version to made in the project, is an artist proof and it actually was remade twice.  While in Puerto Rico, working on another project in 2018, I was allowed to exhibit the sculpture in the library of the Ritz Carlton Reserve at Dorado Beach.

In 2022, I sold the artist-proof to a married couple for their anniversary, I got a chance to document it before delivery and have shared the photos below.

 

 

 

The edition is now open to 5 versions of different scale, depending on conversations with the collector.  The first of the edition, pictured below with the more rusted base, is the second version overall made, however, each are quite unique as I alter engineering and fabrication methods each time.

what’s next?

I will be making a permanently installed inox sculpture, 120 cm tall version, for the garden of Frenchberry, a luxury tourist accommodation, here in Pont Aven, that I hope will draw some interest for another private art commission or even a larger version, 3m or even 10m?  Having completed the inox sculpture twice now, refining as I go, I feel very confident about the engineering as we scale up.

I’ve kept a version in my studio, visitors can make an appointment for viewing.   I’m  available most days, and if not, I am not too far away, that we can’t arrange something.

I look forward to how the Division series progresses, I’m excited to make a larger scale version.  I’ll update this post as I move along.  Thanks so much for all the support.  I’ve uploaded a bunch of pictures below of the new Division, enjoy them, and thanks again.