Traditionally, sculpture is made by removing material from a block of wood or stone, or by modeling clay or wax. My method of working usually starts by adding material such as wood or metal. It is a building process much like an architect constructs a house. Once I have some sort of form established, I may add more or remove some material. It depends where the particular piece leads me.
I choose wood salvaged from older buildings that are under renovation as my primary working medium. In selecting the wood from which to construct a work, I prefer salvaged material because it has a patina of its own making. The color, grain, old paint, dents, scratches, and nail holes give the surface a character and history that is incorporated into the look and feel of the work. Expensive exotic wood would serve no purpose to me, unless it has that patina of time and wear, unless it has a history. I prefer to make uncommon objects out of common materials.
Abstract form leaves the content of the work open to interpretation. It stirs the memory; it may look vaguely familiar, but the best forms resist the specific. I title the sculptures mostly for identification purposes. I expect viewers to identify the work for themselves, to discover their own meaning.
© Photograph by Peter Foe.