How and why the sculpture was created

I wanted to create something for outside of the gallery that would attract attention to C'ville Arts' space on the downtown Mall.  At first, I was thinking "bench", you know, flat seat with a couple of legs underneath. But then, as we approached the 10th anniversary of the cooperative, and the artists started talking about changing the name of the gallery, painting the building, making new signs, etc., and I watched an incredibly diverse group of artists come together and make good, solid decisions, I thought, “a bench just isn’t enough”.  As I sketched and planned, I started thinking in terms of an old, comfy sofa, and I wanted the piece to say something about the cooperative nature of the group.

Once I had settled on the design, I needed to determine the means of fabrication, and sculpted polystyrene was the best choice.  The loveseat actually began with sheets of foam insulation.

I laminated these into blocks, which were then combined and sculpted.  Below, the loveseat in raw foam, and then after the first layer of mesh.

    

Then I applied two coats of mesh & concrete, and I was ready to wrap it in plastic to let it cure for a while.

While the piece was curing, I gathered together my materials.  I asked artists from the cooperative to contribute small personal objects, which I then incorporated into the design, representing the cooperative nature of the co-op. You'll see diverse materials scattered throughout the piece, and those are their objects. Some of the artists work in glass, and so there are a number of fused glass pieces. Another artist works in pewter, and she provided me with the most wonderful dragonflies and cats. A painter even provided me with tiny reproductions of her work under clear glass that I could place throughout the piece.

If the artist's work wasn't appropriate for outdoor work, they brought me personal objects such as belt buckles and broaches. One of our potters, Barbara Albert, produces high-fire work & and she provided me with a box full of seconds that I cut up to use for the clouds.

I also purchased letters from another potter and have inset them into the piece... the letters "cville arts" are placed between the rays of the sun.

Otherwise, the materials are various types of glass tile, either purchased as tile and used whole or cut into tiles from sheets of stained glass.  Also, there are ceramic tiles.

  

The basis of the design are the elements of Feng Shui (Water, Earth, Fire, Wood, and Metal) symbolically representing the harmonious nature of this group of artists.  Feng Shui can be described as the natural path with the least resistance; the practice of Feng Shui is about creating harmony within our environment.

Following are WIP photos taken during and following the first several sessions of applying the mosaic.

At this point, I was staring my deadline head on, and I worked pretty-much non-stop, it seems. I had to stop applying mosaic to cut more glass several times, and then there was the issue of creating the security device for the sculpture. 

Aside from some last-minute cleanup work, I completed the project at midnight, December 6th, 8 1/2 hours before the piece was scheduled to be picked up for delivery at the gallery.

 

 

Comments

[Katie Waller]

Loved reading about how you made this love seat! It's a gorgeous piece and so special that it includes items from the artists at the gallery!