Basic metal arrives in 22' long x 1 1/2" square tubes which are then

cut into parts for the grids.
Detail of joint angles and bevels for weld filet jointing.
Artist as welder, getting ready to "spot weld" frames together.

4000 degrees, plasma welds in seconds and becomes super strong.

Taking form, the finished grids are ready for a little cosmetic sanding.

It always seems like magic to take a pile of metal and turn it into something you have been planning and dreaming about for so long.

The First Meeting with Mount View Students

Maquette of proposed sculpture for Mount View School,

Thorndike, Maine
The honors literature class beginning discussion of words to be placed
upon the golden shapes of the sculpture

A photograph of the words the class came up with at

this first meeting

.

"I RAISE THE PERPENDICULAR,

I MAKE THE SIGNAL,

TO REMAIN AFTER ME...INSIGHT FOREVER"

Walt Whitman

One of the happy passions of art is that it is a striking counterpoint to our lived ordinary lives. It does not speak from the middle of life, but rather from the depth of our beings. But, to just fill space in a beautiful way is only part of the challenge. Each art object has to fit into the viewers frame of reference to become, at the very least, acknowledged, and at the most, "hopefully", felt and understood. To facilitate in the understanding of this sculpture I would like to propose a project in which the students could potentially participate in the message or meaning of this work. This project would involve working with teachers and students, perhaps a junior or senior English class. Working with the teacher(s) I would speak to the class about the use of words, their meanings, their magic, their power and their ability to transcend our ordinary lives. Each student would be asked to contribute a single, personally meaningful word. Each word would be accompanied by a written essay from the student as to the definition, personal meaning and importance of their "special" word. Each of these single words would then be placed upon each shape suspended within the sculpture. As the shapes move and rotate the sculpture itself would continually rearrange the words into a new poetic order. The students would daily see their "special" words in a kinetic interaction with the other chosen words. This moving, changing golden "poem" could hopefully TRANSCEND the simple object hanging in the main hall and become a focal point of pride, not just for myself, as the artist, but more importantly for each student

and their chosen word.