Exploration of the art object

I am a sculptor who works with materials, an object maker concerned with both physical and conceptual process. A critical part of my method of working is to allow a record of this process to exist in the finished sculptures. Perhaps the most difficult and rewarding part of my graduate experience is learning to give up a certain amount of control and allow the work to evolve. In contemporary society most things are anufactured using technically advanced automated machinery. Making objects using tools and methods in a process oriented, hands on manner is considered a traditional way of working. I choose to continue working traditionally because I find satisfaction in transforming materials into objects that exist in a physically based visual language. Each sculpture created for the thesis exhibition has been exposed to various situations and processes, in order to explore and observe how' the sculpture is affected by its environment.

EXPLORATION OF THE ART OBJECT by Jacob Nicholas DeCola A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts i n Art Department of Art and Art History The University of Utah August 2001 Copyright © Jacob Nicholas DeCola 2001 All Rights Reserved THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Jacob Nicholas DeCola This thesis has been read by each member of the following supervisory committee and by majority vote has been found to be satisfactory. ‘- f -M - o i < ________________________________ Chay'marI: Katie Slater X ^ Joseph Marotta 4 • U • 0! ,________________________________________________________= ___________________________ R.D. Wilson THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS FINAL READING APPROVAL To the Graduate Council of The University of Utah: i have read the thesis o f ___________Jacob Nicholas DeCola_________ in its final'form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographic style are consistent and acceptable; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and charts are in place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the Supervisory Committee and is ready for submission to the Graduate School. --------------- Date r /Katie Slater Chairperson, Supervisory Committee Approved for the Major Department / ) ...... Katie Slater Chairperson Approved for the Graduate Council Phyllis Haskell Dean, College o f Fine Arts Rev. 9/81 ABSTRACT I am a sculptor who works with materials, an object maker concerned with both physical and conceptual process. A critical part of my method of working is to allow a record of this process to exist in the finished sculptures. Perhaps the most difficult and rewarding part of my graduate experience is learning to give up a certain amount of control and allow the work to evolve. In contemporary society most things are manufactured using technically advanced automated machinery. Making objects using tools and methods in a process oriented, hands on manner is considered a traditional way of working. I choose to continue working traditionally because I find satisfaction in transforming materials into objects that exist in a physically based visual language. Each sculpture created for the thesis exhibition has been exposed to various situations and processes, in order to explore and observe how' the sculpture is affected by its environment. For Arthur D. Greigh CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................. iv LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...........................................................................................viii THESIS STATEMENT.................................................................................................1 JUSTIFICATION...........................................................................................................2 DELIMITATIONS.........................................................................................................3 SOURCES........................................................................................................................4 METHODS AND FORMAL CONCERNS.................................................................. 5 PROCESS........................................................................................................................7 Conceptual development.................................................................................7 Fabrication and technique............................................................................... 8 Specific experimentation................................................................................ 9 CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................12 FIGURES....................................................................................................................... 13 6 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Rusting Tank with Art Object Inside..........................................................13 2. Rusting Tank with Art Object Inside- Second View...................... 14 3. Detail: Leveling Device with Art Object on Top: Leveled..................................................................15 4. Leveling Device with Art Object on Top: Leveled..................16 5. Detail: Art Object Shipped Across the Country to be Visually Lightened...............................................................17 6. Art Object Shipped Across the Country to be Visually Lightened...............................................................18 7. Art Object Appearing to Float.....................................................................19 8. Art Object Appearing to Float- Second View....................................20 9. Hammered Art Object..............................................................................21 10. Drawings: 1997-1998................................................................................ 22 11. Bumpy Art Object....................................................................................23 12. Bumpy Art Object- Second View........................................................... 24 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank the members of my committee for their guidance and support during my graduate studies. Thank you. Amie. for the push when I needed it. Thank you. Katie, for your encouragement and laughter when stress levels were high. Thank you, Joe, for keeping my head on my shoulders. Thanks to David Pendell for the conversation. Thank you Delores, Nevon. Marty, and Jennie for everything. Thanks Mike Monahan for keeping the shop running. I also thank my family who supported my work without hesitation. Thanks Mom and Jim, Pops and Josh. Thanks to all friends who assisted me in completing these works, and installing the thesis exhibition. Lastly, thanks Booth... for making it fun again. Thanks Jeff. . . for all the lessons, and the Scotch. THESIS STATEMENT The concept of the art object is examined and explored by creating simplified geometric forms and exposing them to various situations and physical processes showing the evidence of that authentic contact. JUSTIFICATION This thesis work explores the individual characteristics of a fabricated inanimate object in relation to various contexts. The objects are all based on a planar wedge-like form with a curved bottom. This shape is used because for me it satisfies a pure object. The work focuses on the way exterior forces and physical situations affect these objects giving them a sense of place and identity. Various circumstances transform them both physically and conceptually. There is excitement found in testing the integrity of a well-crafted and labored object against an unexpected set of c i rcums tance s . This work questions the relationship of art object to a set of circumstantial elements. It is my hope that the viewer considers at what point the art ends, or at what point the various surrounding elements cease to be art. DELIMITATIONS The thesis work will not be created as a sculptural installation. I consider the individuality of each piece within a set of visual forms and conceptual ideas to be the unifying force among them. The sculpture will not be fabricated in such a way as to eliminate the sensibilities of the artist's hand but may be refined as necessary. This work is not a critique on existing social problems. Rather it focuses on the physical situations I have developed. SOURCES The forms I have arrived at have both physical and conceptual roots in the following: 1. Ocean harbor (buoys, sailboats, markers) -curves, tapers, buoyancy, and movement -quality workmanship, and simplified volumetric forms 2. Airplanes -contours of the body, wings, etc. -airflow and directionality of form 3. Monolithic forms of prehistoric Europe -massiveness and simplicity of design -integrity, ability to survive the test of nature over time 4 METHODS AND FORMAL CONCERNS The following formal sculptural concerns were addressed in making this work: physical balance, symmetry as a departure point, contrasting relationships and integrity of material. Important visual elements used in this work are planar form, rectangles, wedges, and curves. I have selected simple forms that become activated and animated by the context they exist in. The objects created have similar characteristics and each has a curved lower section. The point where the curved bottom meets the ground plane and begins its sweep upwards is the gesture from which the rest of the form develops. Once that curve is established the rest of the form can be created in response to and expand from that particular curve. Although the objects are similar, the individual identity of each sculpture develops through a unique and unanticipated characteristic. This occurs by allowing the process to reveal itself in the final form. What is revealed has both physical and conceptual qualities. Leaving the fabrication technical marks or creating an environment for the object are two methods I have used to reflect proces s . This work is created at a size allowing for both close investigation and observation from a distance. The sculptures utilize a balance between physical mass and intimate detail. Larger wo rk 6 becomes more powerful, yet detailed areas create a sense of intimacy. This creates a piece that offers an exploration from many different distances and points of view. PROCESS Conceptual__development Understanding an object's relationship to other physical elements is important to me. Various situations are created to further develop that relationship. The context provided for these objects speaks of specific histories. Most often this context is developed out of a physical situation discovered during the fabrication of the object. Examples are given in this thesis as to how this situation is then clarified for inclusion in the final work. Maintaining an authentic sensibility is important to my work. Authentic is defined as the qualities a piece gains as a result of process. These qualities are acquired characteristics rather than applied. The work reflects physical change over time because of these acquired characteristics. The authentic approach gives my work a sense of richness because the qualities seem essential, not arbi t rary. One method I have used to achieve these essential acquired qualities is the controlled random act. The controlled random act can be defined as a gesture, or final mark making. A sledge hammer is used as the primary tool for the making this surface on the steel objects. It is controlled because the placement and intensity of the mark is contemplated. However, it is the act of swinging a sledge 8 hammer that finally determines the random quality of the resulting dents on the steel forms. The two-dimensional arrow that is present and applied to the works is used to point to the subtly of a piece and as a guide for the viewer. I observed large graphic arrows and other symbols on an airplane wing. This impacted me as it became clear that similar symbols could be translated to my forms and used to point out areas of detail and directionality in the work. The choice of color or the quality of the line work of the arrow relates to the area to be noticed. The arrow symbol can be extremely bold or subtle. A large bright red arrow may point to a large gesture or movement of the form. A small outline of an arrow may reveal a detail in the work such as a waterline or postage that might be missed by the viewer. Fabrication__and technique As a piece is realized in three-dimensional space it is involved in a heavily layered process of physical refinement. From the fabrication, technical marks result that identify curves, plane changes, cutting lines, template registration, and other notations. A model is rarely made. Decisions are based on the actual material and space being used. This allows me to be sensitive to the weight, color, and texture of a particular work. Developing the piece begins with working from a drawing. These drawings are not used as a blue print to fabricate a piece. 9 They are two-dimensional representations that suggest a three­dimensional idea. Sheet and plate steel is used as a primary material to fabricate the three-dimensional form. A series of technical marks is used as a guideline when cutting out the major shapes to be established. The large planar parts are tack welded together to see the rough form in real space. Continuing to work with this piece, angles and dimensions are changed until the identity of the form begins to take shape and solidify. Adjustments are freely made as a direct response to the individuality of the sculpture. When a majority of the fabrication is done the working process slows as my next moves are more carefully considered. To promote clarity and freshness in the work several sculptural forms are developed simultaneously, each with different sets of concerns. The strongest set of relationships established among all the works is p u r su ed . Specific__experimentation To bring a sense of history to a boat-like form, I tried exposing it to various conditions to create an authentic surface. My first attempt was to place the sandblasted form outside in the natural environment for ten weeks and douse it with water, urine, and salt. The process was slow and limited by the dry and cold climate. The next effort was to take the sculpture inside where the climate could be monitored. The work was resandblasted and placed in a tank of - salt water to accelerate the rusting. After viewing the form in the tank for several weeks I saw potential to present the form in a similar, yet more refined structure. A clear Plexiglas tank measuring 6 1/2' x 2 1/2' x T was fabricated to house the form. Figure 1 illustrates the final form placed in this clear tank full of water so that the rusting process could be viewed. Figure 3 shows the leveling device in its finished form. The larger part of the sculpture labeled as the "art object" was created on a leveled plywood surface in order to establish a certain angle which was just off plum. When the piece was moved from this platform to an ordinary floor the subtlety of the angle was lost. To maintain the focus of the piece, a steel plate with set screws was fabricated to level the piece on any surface, creating an environment for it wherever it is placed. This is a direct example of how the fabrication process feeds the conceptual idea as the work develops. Another concept investigated was acquiring history and authentic surface through shipping a sculpture. Control of the piece was given up to the element of chance as it was shipped. "Art Object Shipped Across the Country" was mailed to another artist in Massachusetts with instructions to alter the piece so it would become "visually lightened." A small box called "Part A" Figure 5, which contained an Allen key tool, was shipped separately. Hidden behind two 3 1/2" square steel plates was a hole that penetrated through the form. As these plates were removed and placed into the box (Part A) the hole was exposed so that the piece became "visually lightened." All parts were then shipped back for the thesis exhibition. The presentation, including a map and trip itinerary, allowed these circumstances that affected the object to be experienced by the viewer (see Figure 6). The work "Art Object Appearing to Float" was different from the other pieces because the original conceptual idea shifted dramatically due to unanticipated physical circumstance. Floating an art object was an idea that seemed clear from its conception. The work was designed with an emphasis on the visual rather than on the physics of the object. This created a form that floated extremely differently than I imagined. This offered a challenging set of issues to address. The question became whether the piece should be left to float as it could or if it should be further manipulated. This question forced a change in the way I had envisioned the work. The reconsideration became the "art object appearing to float," with a hidden rig to suspend the object so that the original visual image could be met. CONCLUSION The thesis work was a chance to explore a new way of creating and presenting my sculpture. The work has begun to raise questions that examine levels of process from different perspectives. With this exhibition I found myself taking risks that were a successful departure point from a pure art object. The one concept that forced a major shift due to the nature of the exploration was the floating art object as described previously. This work succeeded in exploring the concept of the art object in various circumstances and contexts. The viewer's understanding of the object changes in response to the relationship between it and a cast of elements. I consider art a chosen path, a process of discovery within material, the results of which exist as a physically based visual language. I define art as this discovery process, because without discovery there would be only repetition of shape and material. What drives me as an artist is the expression of a visual language which yields endless challenges and fulfillment. My sculptures gain freshness as a result of the discovery process. Whether using trash as raw material or rust as color, experimentation is a critical part of my creativity. 1 3 Figure 1 Rusting Tank with Art Object Inside 1 4 Fi gur e 2 Rus t ing Tank wi th Ar t Ob j e c t I n s ide- Second View 1 5 Fi gur e 3 Detai l : Level ing Device with Ar t Objec t on Top: Leveled ■/'*/. 1 6 Fi gur e 4 Leve l ing Device wi th Ar t Obje c t on Top: Level e d 1 7 Figure 5 Detail: Art Object Shipped Across the Country to be Visually Lightened 1 8 Figure 6 Art Object Shipped Across the Country to be Visually Lightened 1 9 Figure 7 Art Object Appearing to Float 2 0 Figure 8 Art Object Appearing to Float- Second View 2 1 Fi gure 9 Hamme r ed A r t Ob j e c t 2 2 Figure 10 Drawings: 1997-98 2 3 Figu r e 11 Bumpy Art Obj e c t 2 4 Figur e 12 Bumpy Ar t Ob j e c t - Second View