Experiment 2 - Wire Model

Polly Verity is an artist who creates animals (real and fictional) out of wire and tissue paper. The wire in her sculptures isn't glued or soldered, but the different pieces of wire are bound together using wire wound round each other. The way she creates her sculptures reminded me of how I create my 'triangle' work by first creating a pencil 'frame-work' which I then colour in Photoshop. Because the techniques were so similar (albeit Polly's were in 3D) I decided to try and make my own sculpture using her technique.

Polly Verity, 2007. Royal Stag

Sally Taylor, 2013. Pencil 'frame-work'

Not being a well-practiced sculptor, I chose to try and use solder to bond the pieces of wire together, hoping it would be easier than trying to use other pieces of wire as Polly does. Unfortunately the solder didn't stick to the wire I was using, so I had to use a glue gun instead, which made the corners look uneven and messy. 

Also, I was using quite thin wire, which was easily bend-able, which meant it kept all the shapes bent into it. Because of this, the end effect was quite 'wobbly' and less hard-edged than Polly's work. I then tried to further create the appearance of facets by covering the sculpture in tissue paper using a mix of pva and water (similar to the consistency used when creating paper mache). The tissue paper was very thin, so tore easily.

Like my first experiment, I felt disappointed with the final result, although this time I has managed to create what I had set out to do. Because the finished sculpture wasn't a close representation of the technique used in my FMP, I felt that I didn't want to pursue the creation of 3D objects, and because I didn't feel confident enough with creating sculptures using the given materials.

After discussing my thoughts with a tutor (describing how I was displeased with the finished result]), I realized I was too quick to disregard my attempts at creating things in 3D. I was told about how artists have used sculptures as maquettes - rough sculptures which are used for visualization. One of the artists I was informed of was Peter Lanyon, who created sculptures which he assembled and took apart, and described them as "experiments in space to establish the illusion and the content of space in painting" - http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lanyon-construction-t01496 From this I learnt that sculptures don't have to be finished, beautiful objects - they can offer assistance to creating work in other ways.

"Early in his career, Peter Lanyon made three-dimensional constructions as works of art. During the 1950s, he did not see such assembled objects as independent works but as aids in the development of the structure and space of his paintings." - http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/lanyon-turn-around-t06740/text-summary

Peter Lanyon, 1947. Construction

Although Lanyon painted abstract landscapes, I found his method of using sculptures to help him 'explore' space really interesting. If I was to do this experiment again, I would have liked to have created a full pigeon form, and to worry less about the 'neatness' of the finished item. If I was creating this model at at earlier point in my final year, (aka while I was playing around with composition for my Final Major Project) I would have liked to have experimented with making drawings from the finished model from different angles. Although my model didn't have straightened edges, I would be able to create straight lines in my drawings. 

As previously mentioned, I would not call myself a sculptor. I have created works in the past - but only basic paper mache. At the beginning of this experiment I was a person more concerned with the finished aesthetic quality of a piece than what it represents. But through my research (especially the way Peter Lanyon used maquettes) I have learnt that things have uses other than decorative ones.

I have also discovered that sculpture and drawing are talked about together rather than apart. They both deal with shape, colour, form, and perspective. When creating sculpture we have to try and visualize form as we create it in real-space, and once we have made it we are free to view it from all sides. Drawing and sculpture can jump from one to the other - a drawing can be made into a sculpture, and a sculpture is an object with form which we are free to observe.

Polly Verity, year unknown. Wire Cat

As seen in Polly's work, is it possible to create 3D work (not made using paper) which feature a 'hard-edged' look to them, though it obviously requires a good deal of patience and skill. I wasn't able to find any Biographical detail about Polly's work, but it would be interesting to know why she primarily uses wire in her sculptures (she also creates sculptures made only from paper) and why she chooses to create animals through her chosen material. If I had known this, I might have been able to explore her use of 'facets', or they might just simply be a way of creating a solid structure...

When creating a sculpture using wire and creating facets, you are creating the bare bones of the object. Wire is a much more rigid material than some (e.g clay, which can be molded into different shapes). Wire restricts your ability to create shapes and forces you to think in a certain way. When this facet technique is created (successfully) using wire, it creates a very solid object with definite edges, which cut into the space around it. The strength of the lines and the shapes created by those lines immediately bring the object to your attention.

For my next experiment I decided to try something completely different, though again using a traditional material.