Education

Space is the Place

Reflections on Meditation and Sculpture Process

Recently, my meditation practice expanded into my clay studio. There was a spontaneous notion to stop all action, pause every agenda, and sit in the middle of the floor. It was almost surprising how easy it was to do in that fairly busy place. There are hundreds of ceramic figures, raw and expressionistic, in some stage of aspirational metamorphosis. I had somehow discovered that sculpture process in the middle of all those pleading eyes, shouting color and texture, there is a serene place to sit in stillness.

A few months ago during Julian Voss-Andreae’s PNWS Zoom presentation, he mentioned the practice of meditation as an inspiration for art. Very quickly several people responded, a brief but energetic discussion about the challenges of regular meditation practice. This stood out to me: sculptors are into meditation. But it also made sense: I’m a sculptor and I’m into meditation as it’s essential to my sculpture process.

Meditation and Sculpture Process is Different For Every Artist

My meditation practice has found its own organic way over the decades. I took up Transcendental Meditation in High School, studied Buddhist forms in my college years, did the silent retreat in Thailand, and studied chakra theory. All of this has come together into a uniquely personal practice of wordless, keen observation, and intuition. I go where I need to go.

My art practice developed separately in parallel, but included creating objects and images of contemplation as well as performance art that has gravitated toward experiences that defy plain description: ecstasy, awe and improvisation. Conditioning myself before one of my live improvisational performances almost always includes meditation. I haven’t applied this rule to sculpting, probably because it’s already there. Meditation is already within sculpting and sculpting is within my meditation.

At that meeting, Julian also referred to the sculpture of Sir Antony Gormley as being inspired by meditation. There is a distinct similarity between these two artists: figures that reflect inward and seamlessly integrate with landscape, figures of dense materials that also dissolve into space. There is a simplicity and ease within these sculptures, but also a challenge. The center is always implied but never pinned down. I believe that we can never completely know what we are, but striving improves us, makes us more whole, and integrates us with others and the world. We will be endlessly looking and sharing what we see.

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Spatial Relations: Seeing 3D Form in the Void

Humans have a natural ability to see and recognize things. You see something and your brain immediately matches the image to a pattern you’ve seen before. You recognize the object. It’s 3D form. Comprehension is complete. Congratulations. You’ve recognized the object and completely missed the space – the invisible element of the image.

Space is only invisible until you see it. Once seen, it cannot be unseen. The void becomes a thing. It’s real. It’s tangible. It adds another level of comprehension to your experience of the object.

Chas Martin - 3D Form - ambiguity - July 2020 - PNWS

In this 2-dimensional example, the positive and negative spaces are flat. Aristotelian binary logic recognizes two options: white and non-white. Everything that is not positive is summarized as negative. There is form and non-form (aka space). That logic is fine if you’re trying to win an argument. In a 3-dimensional world, it’s a bit more complicated.

Think about the musical equivalent of this argument. There are notes and non-notes. All notes are part of the melody. Everything else is collectively defined as a “rest.” There is much more to music than notes and not notes. Imagine Beethoven’s 9th Symphony without the voids between notes. It would be a continuous stream of occasional repetitions with no punctuation, no cadence, no impact. The rest between notes provides valuable space to comprehend what you just heard, to anticipate what you will hear next, and the opportunity to appreciate the uniqueness of the moment. The frequency and duration of the rests are as important as the notes they separate. Many different notes create a melody. There are many different shapes and sizes to the voids.

Sculpture is a Melody of 3D Form Contained by Spaces.

The voids help you comprehend what you have seen, anticipate what you will see next and the opportunity to appreciate the uniqueness of the moment. Space itself has form. It has as much shape and dimension as the sculpture it surrounds. And, like the sculpture, the space changes shape from each new viewing angle. This void creates an invisible series of forms – a progression of connected experiences that supports and illuminates the visible form. Your attention moves from one space to another in a continuous dance of interest, visual stimulation, a sequence of discoveries.

Shifting your focus to give space the same amount of consideration as the form is a challenge. I recently gave a student the following exercise to help open his eyes. First I had him create an abstract form in clay and place it inside a container. Then I had him fill the container with plaster. When that was cured, I told him to remove the clay and observe the plaster form that remained. Form and space were reversed. The plaster turned invisible space into a tangible form. Once seen, space cannot be unseen. For a sculptor, seeing space as a solid form is a revelation worth pursuing.

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Bronze Sculptor Shifts Gears to Explore Collaborative Opportunities

Many PNWS members know me as a bronze sculptor involved exclusively with narrative bronzes. But there is another side bubbling up that wants to be more aggressive about other creative forms.

Before I went full-tilt into using the figure to tell stories and convey emotions I was producing abstract work in all sorts of mediums and various commercial displays that required innovation and involvement in a wide variety of materials and methods. Here are a few projects executed prior to my bronze sculptor days that were both challenging and fun.

I once built a pinball machine that taught science museum visitors how our digestive system works to breakdown food into usable nutrients. A ball (bolus) rolled or bounced through various options to get masticated and swallowed, hopefully without gagging or choking. As the bolus traveled it turned on information about enzymes being released, nutrients being absorbed and chemical processes taking place along with all the bells and sound effects of a traditional pinball. The bolus would churn in the stomach while hopefully avoiding being thrown up – GAME OVER! A convoluted intestinal track would end up in the rectum, waiting for the perfect moment to release. The winner was rewarded by the sound of a flushing toilet!

Harnessing Light as Sculptural Form

Another unusual creative experience was in creating a display that demonstrated how a laser beam could be used to measure movement. Laser light was sent through a fiber, then split in half and sent in opposite directions around a coil of fiber optic cable and then recombined. If the coil was rotated, the two light inputs would get out of phase with each other because the light traveling in the direction of the rotation would have to go a greater distance in the amount of time that it took for the light to go through the coil. Amazingly, this phase shifting can be detected with a light meter and measured to calculate for visitors how far the device was rotated. We built one of these to demonstrate the principle. Three of these devices set up at right angles from each other make up a modern laser gyro. Similar devices are used to orient spacecraft. Our demo model was three feet across while the ones in spacecraft can fit into your closed fist.

When I first moved to Oregon I was hired to build a 5-foot tall face that could blink its eyes among other sculptural things for the Oregon State Pavilion to be placed in the Worlds Fair in Vancouver BC that year. I had the pleasure of working with Michael Curry who was on the same sculpting team as me and who recently hosted a tour of his amazing facility for the ISC conference.

Professional Collaborations with a Bronze Sculptor

The last few years have provided me with the opportunity to work with architects and various builders to design an interesting building titled The Geode It included a 35’ tall spiral staircase, the iconic digital Light Blades on the outside of the Geode, and custom furniture. All of these projects were done with teams of creative people including several from the ranks of PNWS like Matt Scheick and Dave Gonzo who drew up the engineering drawings for the spiral stair from my concept sketches. It was laser cut and welded together in my shop while it was raining indoors (an amazing accomplishment).

The light Blades was created by a bigger team lead by my son Talik and gifted people who have created all sorts of things for Burning Man with us. I first made (with other PNWS members) a bamboo tent structure for a PNWS sculpture event held at the Maryhill Museum of Art in the Columbia Gorge. That inspired a 3,500 square foot bamboo structure for Burning Man years later. It housed a bar, sofa lounge, dance floor, and a giant misting chandelier by my friend, Lloyd Lindley.

Two years later I designed and lead the construction of a Mutant Art Car for Burning Man that carried the Tree of Knowledge, a refugee from the Garden of Eden, to help find a new home that would appreciate truth and freedom. Along with it came a wise, animated snake that could slither, listen, speak, breath smoke, and slide its split tongue out into surprised places (it’s still on display in my Studio).

The Evolution of an Accomplished Bronze Sculptor

That was a long introduction to get to what I hope to explore next. Recent projects in digital and projected light have suggested we may want to cast larger ideas into clear or translucent castable materials. These forms can be projected onto with mapped and animated imagery to give the sculpture additional dimensions of color and movement. So far we have experimented with opaque, castable urethane and clear or dyed epoxy resin. The urethane can be formulated so it can set in a short time. It is possible to hand rotate the molds as urethane set. Epoxy, on the other hand, allows for better control of clarity and colors, but sets too slowly to hand roll as it sets. Epoxy wants to be cast flat. We can bend it, but not pour it into a large mold easily. We just finished building a 9 ft. by 6 ft. chandelier for the main room in the Studio from precast flat pieces of epoxy resin.

I don’t know where this journey leads but we’re looking for collaborators, ideas, and skills to join us. Combining skills can greatly expand our options for making amazing things. We invite you to continue the conversation.

To learn more about Pacific Northwest Sculptors events, contact us today!

Teaching Sculpting Workshops– One Sculptor’s Dilemma

I taught four sculpting workshops this year and did a lot of driving to get to those places. Of course, I planned my workshops to put me in the right place for social events with friends and family. I taught my last class locally at The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, Oregon. That was in August.

As I got back to my studio with no sculpting workshops on the horizon, I asked myself the question… why teach? It certainly contributes to my bottom line, but it also distracts me from what I consider to be my “real’ work.

When I returned to my studio, it seemed like I had to apologize to my muse for spending most of the year chasing the buck. A lot of groveling was involved. Little by little my sculptor self came back to me and the work grew with every piece. Now that I’m back in Artist mode (as opposed to teacher mode) I have to ask myself again…should I teach? I think it’s a question we all ask at some point (Unless teaching is our main career).

Key Lessons from Teaching Sculpting Workshops

I think the best answer for me is to find a balance. Teach a class, but don’t let teacher mode take me over. As a teacher, I think about how I will bring my students along so they can learn and have a good result. As a sculptor, I must take chances and work in a state of “spirit”. That’s the best way I can describe the experience. “Teacher brain” gets in my way.

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Sculpture Process: The Green Man from Sketch to Finished Sculpture

As a gardener, I’ve been cultivating plants for 60 years. As a sculptor, I’ve been researching the Green Man in books, museums, and churches. A current project which employs the sculpture process combines these interests into designs for a bronze fountain featuring the Green Man.

My drawings confirmed an idea I’ve had that sculpture comes down to bumps and divots. Regardless of the subject, abstract or figurative, good sculpture bounces light and creates shadows with its forms and surfaces. I didn’t need to draw eyes, I could imply them in shadowed recesses. Forehead and nose and chin, cheekbones could be suggested by bright surfaces in the proper proportions.

Finding Inspiration in the Sculpture Process

Many of the drawings were unintentionally creepy. Ambiguity has always been an aspect of the Green Man. Medieval sculptures depict him with branches and leaves coming out of his mouth. Is he exhaling green or choking on it. Is wildness threatening or benign? Genetic engineering adds another layer of ambiguity. What would a human/ plant cross look like? How would new green beings relate to us, and we them?

I was also inspired by the science fiction book The Wind Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. It’s a story of a not too distant future mix of human and genetically modified beings and plants coping with a constantly changing environment.

I’m working on the carving now and will share soon. For now, here are some of my drawings.

Patrick-Gracewood-June-2019-Green-Man - Process-1

Patrick-Gracewood-June-2019-Green-Man-Process-2

Note: Patrick has been awarded a grant to participate in Inami International Sculpture Camp in Nanto City, Japan.

See Patrick’s small carving video

To learn more about Patrick’s work, Pacific Northwest Sculptors, or contact us today!

Wood Sculpture Techniques at the Portland Japanese Garden

My art tells stories, my collaborator is wood. In my current series, I recycle construction debris, coaxing these manufactured shapes into revealing their natural irregularities. I work with cross-sections of wood and pay special attention to the grain and texture. With certain wood sculpture techniques, the history of the tree becomes an integral part of the finished sculpture. While looking at the art you can see the passage of time because each line is one year of growth.

Japanese Technique in Wood Sculpture

Major influences on my wood sculpture are the Japanese monk, Enku, and the Taiwanese artist Ju Ming. Both influenced my work with their direct approach to carving.

Enkū (円空) (1632–1695) was a Japanese Buddhist monk, poet, and sculptor during the early Edo period. He was born in Mino Province (present-day Gifu Prefecture) and is famous for carving some 120,000 wooden statues of the Buddha and other Buddhist icons. He used his art as devotional objects, giving them away, and to pay for lodging on his pilgrimages to temples throughout Japan.

I will be carving small figures in the style of Enkū and showing recent sculptures.

To learn more about Patrick Gracewood’s sculptures, Pacific Northwest Sculptors, or contact us today!

How To Create A Video Of Your Sculpture

A video of your sculpture is a tremendous way to introduce your sculpture to the world. There’s a very real chance that more people will see your art via video and the internet than will ever see it in real life.

While working on a public art commission for TriMet, I had both the opportunity and budget to create my first sculpture video on the inspiration, creation, and installation of To Grandmother’s House. I hired a talented young videographer, Eric Nordstrom of PPAV. He came to my studio, filmed for a bit, and later sent me a rough draft.

It was a cold wake up to realize that I couldn’t use any of it.

I called Eric and postponed our next meeting. There’s a lot that goes into creating even a very short video. Be prepared so you don’t waste time, (yours and your videographer’s) and money, (yours!) It took me two weeks to write down everything the video needed and how to get it done. Here’s what I came up with:

How To Plan Your Video Shoot:

Firstly, write the script. What story are you telling? Where does it begin, what does it say, and how does it end?

Second, storyboard the shots: I used 3 x 5-inch cards with quick drawings of how I wanted the art seen. You are the expert on your art and want to share its best aspects with your audience. I taped the cards end to end so I had a fold-out book for quick reference. It’s easy to get flustered or lose track of goals when the camera is rolling.

Be a location scout: Nothing is more distracting than distracting backgrounds. It’s a good reason to clean your studio or at least your workbench. It can be as simple as finding a blank wall or green hedge outside. Is it quiet enough to have a good recording sound? If not, you’ll need to plan and record a voice-over. For maquettes and small sculpture consider shooting them against the sky or distant background.

Control the lighting: Lighting is critical. While working on my video, we discovered how powerful it is to just move your light source. It gave a powerful sense of movement and revealed new details. You don’t need fancy lights (they help) but you do need to know what your lights can and can’t do. If they’re LED, are they warm enough so the video and your art isn’t that cold blue? A simple turntable can show the work well.

The camera sees differently than human eyes. If you’re showing bronzes, avoid glaring high lights. A little wax can dull that shine and easily buff off later.

Direct: tell my videographer what needs to be accomplished, go over the storyboard with him or her, listen for suggestions s/he has for improvements.

Help edit the final version. I don’t have time to learn another skill which is why I hired a professional videographer. Filming is one skill, editing is another. Eric presented me with a rough cut version that we jointly edited to get the best story.

Last but not least, You get to be the artist. Did you forget to write down what you want to say? Go back to step one. Write it and then rehearse speaking it out loud. It’s not hard but it does take practice. Like any story, it gets better with the telling and is a skill you can use whenever you talk about your art. People want to hear what you have to say about your art. They just don’t want to wait around while you struggle to find words….

Congratulate Yourself! You Created A Video Of Your Sculpture

It can be disappointing to see yourself and even more to hear yourself speaking. What helped me was remembering “It’s not about me. It’s about my art.” Relax, give it your best, AND shoot it several times. Editing can select the best version, even splicing different takes together.

Now that you have a video, let the world know or your website, blog, and social media.

To learn more about Patrick’s work or Pacific Northwest Sculptors, contact us today!