International Sculpture Day

Sculptors Share Secrets At International Sculpture Day 2019

International Sculpture Day - May 2019 - 2

We’ve yet to have an International Sculpture Day celebration that was not a great success. This one was slimmed down from previous years in that it was to be merely a juried exhibition with a few artists demonstrating techniques. A budget was set for food and the demonstrators paid a small fee to participate. Sculptors Jesse Pierson and Dave Gonzo hosted at their studio on Franklin in SE Portland. Of course, this all sounds simple, but there are a tremendous number of tasks to complete to pull such a thing off. Firstly, you need postcards and publicity, find somebody to pour beer, and the food needs to be bought and set up. Also, where does one find a computer beefy enough to run Oculus Rift? At some point, Gonzo had to lower the giant spider down from the ceiling and build a fire in it. Suffice it to say there was plenty of thinking and heavy lifting involved to make the event a success.

International Sculpture Day Is Mainly A Social Event

I was a demonstrator and went with the intent of making a decent number of little creatures. I made a small lump. It was green and misshapen. That’s as far as I got. Afterward, I spent the rest of the time talking with one person after another. What a bunch of interesting people and what a remarkable evening.

Oculus Rift is a piece of the 3D system with a stereo headset primarily aimed at the gaming industry. One is immersed in a 3-dimensional environment usually with ample weaponry. Hand controls enable one to manipulate and/or operate virtual objects. Your virtual hands or tools mimic the movements of your real arms and hands. Of course, all this means it’s possible to make things as well. This resulted in one person after another sitting over in the corner with googles and hand controls making insane gestures. Alisa Looney, Chas Martin, Andy Kennedy, Joe Cartino, and I were the demonstrators. All were constantly engaged. Thanks, Dave and Jesse, and all who helped out. That was a really nice event.

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Common Sculpture Tools – Orange Plastic Bowl

Andy Kennedy

A couple months ago I described some of my clay sculpting tools, a fork, a baseball bat, a stone with a sharp edge. Tools can also be a word or an idea, or a whole system of ideas, anything that can be used to affect change. The tools of this essay are vague abstractions grounded by physical elements of process. And presently featuring an orange plastic bowl, about 17” diameter and one inch thick all around.

It’s very rounded because this bowl was part of a sphere that was once a float for a fisherman’s net. I found this orange plastic bowl buried in sand on the beach of Ft. Stevens park by Astoria and hauled it home. It’s surprisingly heavy at over ten pounds. I’m going to pause, because there was a time when I did not know what this thing really could do. That was a time of unknowing, but keen recognition that this orange bowl seemed to have Potential written all over it. Like being handing a big puzzle piece that is connected to a huge new view of the world. Finding this orange hunk of plastic was like a wardrobe that leads to Narnia or hearing at a planning meeting for International Sculpture day that an empty storefront adjacent to the CAVE might be available for art installation.

There were a few moments in the middle of International Sculpture day within the bustle of other artists setting up demonstrations and Vancouver residents walking into the PNWS event. I was there, in the middle of an installation that I co-created with Amber Metz (AKA Aim Axon) called Meditation and Manipulation playing with one of the 200+ bamboo sticks that I brought into the CAVE Adjacent space over the month leading up to the event. I stood there observing yet another wondrous property of an orange plastic bowl, a piece of found object art that I now call the haFast forms a cone with my hand at the apex and I’m in that state of discovery and surrender to wonder spontaneously conjured, hyper-present, ready and willing, at the axis of crafting reality and it occurs to me, “The quality of this moment is the thing I want to share”.

The Belly – An interactive art installation of art in public places

Art Installation by Aim Axon

The senses, how enticing, visceral, our primal instincts… unnourished. The Belly was created to awaken our healthy and innate urges within ourselves, within nature itself. A 20 minute sensory experience crafted to open doors, unlocking the tight control that represses and denies the very essence of who we are and the Earth we live on.

Alisa Looney experiencing The Belly - an art installation by Aim Axion. — Alisa Looney experiencing The Belly

Into the chaotic jungle, through angles of bamboo, near the mind altering glows, enter The Belly. Feet undressed, pass through the veil, greeted by one glowing light. The ground soft, inviting a seat ~ lay ~ crawl ~ stretch. Look around, Earth is hiding in the darkness. Trees, flowers, scents of rosemary, lavender, and lemon. The sky has an underground feeling, wet and mountainous. Come closer to the light, see your reflection. Put your skin in the Earth and Water…touch your body…the elements so wonderful, so giving, have you forgotten?

It wasn’t who she thought she knew, but who they used to be
She whispered to the wind at night, preserving bits of memory…
Excerpt from the poem written by Jessica Stroia

Vibrating sound surrounds, undulating in emotional spectrum: fear, anger, repression, hunger, sexuality, ecstasy, sensuality, gentleness, unknowing, meditation, renewal. All here, seeping and pouring through our souls like the streams and rushes of Water.

Photo of The Belly - an art installation by Aim Axion.

As experiencers came out of The Belly with mud on their faces and a curious look in their eye, many greeted me with warm hugs. Some expressed they had feelings of being in the womb, being deep within and tending to the core. Being in a mystical and sacred place, similar to a sweat lodge. Being close to Earth’s weaving roots…

This journey has been so fruitful and fulfilling. Thank you all who interacted and took a moment to feel.

Musical appearances by:

• Nature – Spirit, Fire, Air, Water, Earth, the Crow and native birds

• Amber Metz (Aim Axon) – Composition and recording, female vocals, planetary patterns, bamboo, tingsha bells, chimes, xylophone, Tibetan singing bowls, wood drumming, rainstick, gong, whistles, effects

• Dave Gonzo – Dejembe drumming, bamboo, Rick Gregg’s bells

• Matt Weiers – Clarinet, flute, xylophone

• Chayo Wilson – Tibetan singing bowl, bells, xylophone

• Andy Kennedy – Male throat singing

Listen in a quiet and dark space at » www.aimaxon.bandcamp.com

Special thanks to:

The elements for nourishing our very existence, allowing us to feel the senses and experience this stay on Earth.

Andy Kennedy for stoking the fire to this conscious experiment, for being an intriguing collaborator and a whimsically supporting hand. Andy, thank you for creating the engaging jungle atmosphere outside The Belly room, which encouraged the audience to touch – play – wonder – let go.

Also within the jungle, Craig Dorety for lending his hallucination chamber and Joseph Cartino for his indigenous dangling decor.

Chayo Wilson for her spiritual guidance and all around kindness and support.

Matt Weiers for sharing audio knowledge and lending his recording equipment and handsomely crafted singing bowls.

Dave Gonzo for harnessing the essential and primal animalistic forces.

Jessica Stroia for her surreal poetry, elegant flower reef and veil decor.

Terri Elioff for her excellent seamstress skills that made the ground oh so comfortable.

Jennifer Corio and Art at the Cave gallery for making the use of this space possible.

And of course, to the Pacific NW Sculptors who donated materials and for their artistic encouragement.

Photo of Pacific Northwest Sculptors member Aim Axion inside The Belly - an art installation. — Amber Metz (Aim Axon)

The Cave in Vancouver, Washington hosts show by Top Sculptors from Oregon and Washington

The International Sculpture Center, (the publishers of Sculpture Magazine), some 4 years ago suggested that there be an International Sculpture Day. Not surprisingly sculptors and sculpture organizations around the country thought this was a good idea.

This is our third year of participation. It is a thing we look forward to all year. Much effort goes into preparations and not enough can be said about the volunteers who put it together.

This year the event was held at The Cave gallery in Vancouver WA. The gallery mounted a juried show of member’s works for the month of April 2018 with an opening on Friday, April 6th. International Sculpture Day was celebrated on Saturday the 21st. On that day three artists gave talks, demonstrations of welding and ceramic construction were outside and the vacant storefront next door was transformed into a space for immersive and interactive installations. Janet Julian provided acoustic music on a vintage Gibson guitar.

Demonstrations were provided by Dave Gonzo, (welding), and Chayo Wilson, (ceramics). Also featured in that area were additional works by those two artists which included a rather remarkable spider fire pit by Dave. Note the glass eyes glowing from the fire within.

Immersive Works were set up in the vacant storefront next door. Just to the left of the doorframe a 3D printer provided by Proto Pasta of Vancouver was busy squirting out tiny gnomes. The floor, walls and ceiling were festooned with assorted segments of bamboo. Some pieces were meant to be rearranged as one saw fit. Curious items were here and there. Further up a passage was a box fixed to the wall. In it were a number of LEDs strobing in unison. A knob on the side of the box could control the frequency. One inserts one’s head into the box and then manipulates the knob to create the most desirable hallucinations. Not anything like flying monkeys but rather interesting moiré type patterns of dots. Those subject to seizures were clearly warned away. Flying monkeys have never hurt anyone by the way.

The Belly was just on the other side of the corridor. That was small darkened space lit by a salt lamp, the floor covered with pillows and a soundscape coming from hidden speakers. Artist Talks were introduced by Jennifer Corio in the main gallery. She talked about International Sculpture Day and our participation in it for the past 3 years. George Heath the current president of PNWS introduced the organization and talked of its purposes and goals. Three artists then spoke for about 15 minutes each. Sue Westfall Quast described how her art developed and intersected with life over time. Craig Dorety, a light sculptor, spoke about how the peculiarities of LED lights could be utilized creatively and further how such lighting can interact with the mind. The strobing chamber mentioned in Immersive Works paragraph was one of Craig’s pieces. Chas Martin spoke of creating a piece so as to control the space around it and using that space to elicit a response from the viewer. He also described how his current work developed from line into sculpture.

Portland Celebrates International Sculpture Day 2017

Pacific Northwest Sculptors’ second annual celebration of International Sculpture Day on April 21 and 22 in Portland was an unqualified success, judging from comments after the event by its organizers, participants and guests.

Hosted at three neighboring venues in Southeast Portland’s Sellwood District and billed as “ International Sculpture Day PDX 2017, 3D Alchemy: Fusing Intellect, Intuition and Magic Into Sculpture,” the event featured leading local sculptors talking about their work, live demonstrations of sculptors at work, a tour of one sculptor’s cutting-edge, high-tech studio, an exhibit of sculptures by local artists, lots of good food and drink, a tango demonstration and, to wrap it all up, a dance party with live music.

PNWS member Alisa Looney was a driving force behind the event. It was her presentation at a members’ meeting at Marylhurst University near Lake Oswego about two years ago that led PNWS to commit to joining the celebration, observed around the world each April for the last three years.

Summing up this year’s event she said, “My feeling overall was that it was a wonderful event for all who attended. Our entire team was incredible, professional and dependable. Everyone really showed up and made sculpture to the public in a fresh way.”

Everyone on the organizing team and the other artists who were featured in the event worked hard and deserve considerable gratitude for their selfless contribution.

PNWS Members Create International Sculpture Day

PNWS President George Heath singled out Looney for her imagination and commitment to making Portland a part of this observance. He wrote to her after the recent event, “As for you, Wow! That was amazing. I rarely, if ever, have seen anybody pull off something like that with such aplomb. Nicely done.”

Looney said, “I was truly honored to receive this compliment on behalf of our team,” adding, “it would not have been possible to pull this off without even one of our amazing team members, artists, hosts, sponsors, volunteers and guests.”

Other members of the International Sculpture Day organizing team, all PNWS members, were Julian Voss-Andreae, Jennifer Corio, Dave Gonzo, Sam Hingston, and Sue Quast. Some of the planners were also featured artists at the event. Voss-Andreae opened his studio to the public where he led a tour and explained how he blends art and high-tech; he also was a featured speaker, along with Hingston, at the artist talks.

The other featured speakers were Chayo Wilson and Bill Leigh. Corio emceed the artist talks. Gonzo demonstrated sculptural welding techniques alongside fellow PNWS member Andy Kennedy who demonstrated ceramic work. Looney singled out Susan Schimelfining as one volunteer “who has not been mentioned enough.” Looney credited Schimelfining for planning and preparing the food available at various venues. “It was beautifully displayed and delicious as well,” said Looney. “She actually cooked the smoked chicken herself and went to great lengths to make it all work with the schedule of replenishing for each event.”

SE Portland Businesses Host Artists and Guests for International Sculpture Day

The event was sited at three locations in close proximity to one another along Southeast 17th Avenue: Anna Daedalus and Kerry Davis’s Roll-Up Photo Studio + Gallery, which was the venue of last year’s celebration, Voss-Andreae’s new studio, and Rachel Lidskog-Lim’s Dance With Joy Studios. Groups of artists and guests migrated together from one location to the next throughout the evening. Hingston thought the geography of the event added to its appeal. “I thought it was a really fun and engaging event.

The three locations gave the evening a lot of variety, and I thought having the group travel together brought a bit of adventure to the whole thing,” he said. He also had praise for his fellow planners. “It was a great experience working with the planning committee as well as the many people who helped to make it all happen.

It took a lot of effort from a lot of people, but it was certainly well worth it.” Corio was pleased with the outcome as well. “All and all, a smashing success! I am proud to be part of the planning team,” she said. She thought the audience at the artist presentations seemed “laid back and really interested in hearing what the artists had to say.” She said they asked “good questions” and with “a fair bit of laughter,” which, she added, made her job as emcee easier.

International Sculpture Day a Success

Corio summarized the event. “I felt a fun, joyful vibe throughout the evening. The show at Roll-Up (Gallery) was full of folks looking at art and enjoying themselves.” While it was difficult to count overall attendance at the event owing to its being spread out across three venues, it was possible to get a good count of the people attending the artist talks.

Corio and Looney agreed the number there was about 75 with a few others gathered just outside the door to the room where food and beverages were available. Paul Haist, the newsletter editor, who was focused on watching and photographing what was going on, though overall attendance could not be much less than about 200. The celebration would not have been possible without the generous support of many in the community including sponsors Cobalt Designworks, Dance With Joy Studios, Form 3D Foundry, Bill Leigh, Roll-Up Photo Studio + Gallery, the International Sculpture Center in Hamilton, N.J. (publishers of Sculpture Magazine) and Julian Voss-Andreae.

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

3D Modeling Technology Propels Sculpture Forward

Paul Haist

Pacific Northwest Sculptors President George Heath welcomed members and guests to the group’s monthly open meeting on the evening of Jan. 19 at Form 3D Foundry in Portland to demonstrate the advancements of 3d modeling technology.

This time, the meeting featured an up-close look at innovative 3-D printing technology and how sculptors are using it to advance their art. The host for the evening was Rob Arps, the founder of Form 3D Foundry. He was assisted by Production Manager Steve Christman.

The evening began, as usual, with a get-acquainted social hour featuring potluck dining fare accompanied by an array of beverages. While many stayed close to the food and beverages during the socializing part of the event, others freely explored the sprawling studio in close-in Southeast Portland where, even after regular business hours, a large, automated 3-D printer was quietly at work by itself in something resembling a laboratory clean room.

Exploring the 3D Modeling Technology Process

Form 3D Foundry provides a wide variety of services for sculptors including, for example, 3-D scanning in the studio and on location, digital sculpting, traditional sculpting, and the creation of enlargements and reductions of existing pieces. The studio also provides robotic machining of various materials including blue PIB (pipe insulation billet) polystyrene, white polystyrene, polyurethanes, and wood, and can also do clay milling over foam.

While the studio seems outwardly to be a technological tour-de-force with exotic machines and wherever one looks yet another computer terminal, Arps stresses that the creation of art is the core or heart of what he, his staff, and their clients do at Form 3D. In remarks at the meeting, he explained that he is “reluctant to use the term ‘digital sculpture’.” He thinks it is “demeaning,” that it diminishes the indispensable role of the artist. Rather, as he points out on the studio website, a constant he insists on is “to explore, embrace and utilize technology in order to propel art and sculpture forward.” He calls it “the use of technology grounded in traditional artistic principles.” During the social hour at the January meeting, he elaborated on this theme at considerable length to the rapt attention of all present. Before the formal guided tour, everyone introduced themselves.

The crowd included long-time PNWS members, new members, and non-members. Among the members present were Julian Vos-Andreae and Marty Eichinger, both of Portland, and Nancy Thorn Chambers of Olympia, each of whom is working closely at present with Form 3D Foundry. Member Alisa Loony of Portland was on hand. She, Vos-Andreae, Jennifer Corio, and Dave Gonzo are coordinating this year’s PNWS celebration of International Sculpture Day (is Day) set for April 24. Gonzo also attended the Form 3D event. Looney outlined plans for this year’s event and encouraged members to volunteer to staff the event.

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