Steelhead
-ON DISPLAY NOW-
In 2019, Soda Rock Winery, located near Healdsburg, CA, tragically burned to the ground, leaving a pile of melted glass and tangled steel beams. Out of this mess, owner Ken Wilson and I salvaged four primary beams that now formed graceful curved arcs with a slight twist, hoping to turn them into something sculptural. The winery is situated along the Russian River, which inspired the creation of a fish
sculpture honoring the native steelhead that inhabit the area. I used the beam as the main body and spontaneously added a head and tail, along with other details in steel and stainless steel. In total, 200 hours were spent fabricating. Implied movement and activity depict this free and wild life.
About the Artist
There are precious moments when the mind is quiet and I can enjoy my senses without interference. Sculpting, at its best, includes such moments. Balancing space, mass, texture, color, line, pattern, weight, and proportion is a visual pleasure. Harmony is something I feel; analysis is secondary.
While I may have a general idea in mind when creating a sculpture, the passages that constitute the whole are a surprise to me. Any durable material is fair game in this process, although steel is usually best for actual connections between mediums. I grab elements that are near at hand, realizing that chance and spontaneity are keys to accessing fresh visual territory. This maundering exploration often involves stumbling corrections and meandering whimsy, but eventually concludes with a satisfying map of the journey.
There is no substitute for handmade objects; emotions and character are embedded in the work. Art is a vehicle of expression, a means of encoding our response to the world. I hope my audience appreciates my serious folly, my love of nature and beauty, and enjoys my effort to flirt with the mystery of life.