Line and Direction

Week 1

Materials: Metal wire, rope

Task: Create a sculptural artwork that interacts with the space outside the QUT workshops using only metal wire and rope to explore the themes of line and direction

Attempt 1

My first idea was to subvert the materials, making the string look taught and stiff while the wire looks flowy and full of movement.

I started this by making a wire ring for the string to be tied in, like a spiderweb. The plan was to create spiraling strands of wire that cascaded from the top ring.

This concept was not looking how I intended. As well as this, I realised that it was not hitting the line and direction theme as strongly as I wanted.

Attempt 2

Using copper wire and a soldering iron, I made four circles each smaller than the last.

I was inspired by the trees outside the workshop; the rings that show growth and age, stretching out to reach sunlight. I started by hanging the rings on tree branches to emphasise the natural cone shape of the branch.

There were no tree branches thick or accessible enough to demonstrate my idea so I modeled it on my arm, then experimented with it in unconventional places such as the bench.

The gradually shrinking circles placed in size order indicate direction in a few ways:

An outward growing motion (like the tree branch)
A timeline of an object moving (much like in animation when one moving object is given multiple frames to indicate it moving through space at a speed)
A linear motion as one imagines moving through the rings, much like a tunnel

How line and direction get interpreted through the rings is entirely dependent on their presentation and location.

Artist Research

Dale Chihuly

American Glass Artist

Chihuly creates large scale glass sculptures which are often site-specific.

This particular one, 'The Sun' (2006) has been displayed in multiple locations, its impact and meaning changing with each site.

I am infatuated with the effect of light through glass, as well as the motion and life that Chihuly infuses the glass tendrils with.

Because each glass piece is emanating from one center, it gives the impression of an explosion or outwards radiation.

Charles Gaines

American Visual Artist

Charles Gaines created this work of public art to reflect the social and public history of that site.

'Moving Chains' (2022) consists of nine enormous chains that rotate in a loop at varying speeds. They represent the site's contribution to America's modern day economical wealth, which is only possible due to the slave labor in America's history.

I am always in awe of grand-scale art, especially kinetic art that interacts with the public. As well as the concept, aesthetically metal and wood are of great interest to me, I have experience with wood work but almost none with metal work.

I hope to change that this semester and try to marry the two materials.