1. Remain steady and allow the world to shape itself.
2. Do not expect too much too soon. That which is worthwhile is created
slowly and carefully.
3. Concentrate on your attitude rather than your goals.
--from the thunder and wind hexagram of the ancient I-Ching.
What is a face? The front of a head. We think of faces as being the most
significant surface of an object--inanimate (clocks, buildings) or animated objects
(humans, animals).
The heart of the artistic challenge, for me, in making these metal
face sculptures,has been to allow the materials to speak for themselves--guiding my hands/eyesto bend, twist, cut, screw or drill--in such a way where the face
shapes itself.
I pick up pieces of used or discarded metal along my way in my
travels if it calls my attention from the ground or the debris heap. Returning home I toss the booty into a crate in the studio.
When it's time to work I dump the box of used metal onto the middle of the floor
and set about sorting it and looking it over. It's work and it is play. Individual
spirits of the shapes and different types of metal are at work and at play--connecting up through the recognizable form of "face", be it animal, human or
alien. At times even connecting by giving face to the spiritual, invisible entities, forces that guide us and keep us company here on our journey.
On a good day, when I'm working slowly and carefully with a good attitude and
paying attention the materials do speak for themselves and the faces come out
great. Like Noah's animals lining up two by two to board the ark, rusty bottle
caps pair up for eyes, nostrils or ears. Tin can lids ask to be eye lids, jar tops
lips.
Those are the sculptures that make it into a show.
On a bad day, if I go into my studio with bravado and ego or lack of empathy or
equanimity to the materials (or to all the human or animal faces I have seen in
my lifetime, for that matter) nothing cool happens, no transformations of wastes
or guidance by voices occurs, and the day's work is lifeless, ending up in a bin to
be taken apart and started over some other day.
M
