Liminal Footing

This is where I step, this is where I am between.
At this point I am neither here nor there.
I am in liminal footing.

Kanf'ei Yisrael (The Wings Of Israel)

The prophets stated that we would come on the wings of eagles to Ehretz Yisrael (Israel), it seems today that we have returned via every type of wing and every type of tradition.

Lo Tasuru

There is a torah verse that tells you the laws of the rabbis are as binding as those laws of the Torah. It is usually summed up by the first phrase, "Lo tasuru yamin u'smaul" (Don't turn right of left [from what they tell you is the law]). This is the person who does not know which road she should not turn from. 

Fork In The Road

Untitled Impasto Abstract

The tilt makes it hard to see but I wanted to accentuate the thick lines that are more obvious in person. Each color has a different surface. I generally think of earth grass sky and sun when I see this but others have expressed different 'feelings' and images coming to mind.

Wax Scuplture

Let me preface this with the fact that I sincerely enjoyed working with the wax, especially since I had started to dread working with a new material after becoming so comfortable with the plasticine. This also started with a trip outside to the stove where I watched the small beads-like chips of wax melt into a steaming hot liquid. The color of the deep red wax was beautiful and I marveled at the transition of color as it dried. The melted wax color is gorgeous when it is hot, almost the color of a hot-tamale candy, and nearly transparent when dripping off the brush in a thin layer like a piece of blown Chihuly glass.

Next I got to work on correcting all the imperfections that come from the rubber mould’s imprint of the plasticine. On the fun side I got to smooth the wax using a giant torch. A blue fire zips out from the tip of the spout placed on top of the green propane gas bottle. To do so I heated the smooth edge of the metal tool by the blue flame. Once the knife is smoking the wax will become liquid with the slightest touch. It was wonderful just sliding the blade over the liquid wax and smoothing it, brushing the knife this way then that. The wax then solidified so quickly, it was amazing. I also like smoothing with the metal sheet grid and the kerosene, specifically using it to shear away the tiny edges of the wax left from the rim of the knife. Running your finger over that completely smoother surface was awesome because I was initially apprenhensive about getting that frictionless surface with the wax.

Rubber + Plaster Mould

The silicone was pink and sticky, very pink and very sticky. The second time I used the silicone it was just to cover up the extra bumps and layers that dripped away the first time. The third time I moved away from the taffy consistency of the wet silicone and added a rectangular border of already dried blue silicone and some smaller pieces of silicone all around as anchors for when it would be in the plaster mould. This time we used a faster drying silicone to keep the border on it was yellow and more like rubbery cheese. Finally when that was done we used some Vaseline and started to layer the silicone with a plaster mould.

 The plaster part consists of three or four layers, but for each side. You create the mould for one side and then the other. The first is a more watery and smoother plaster that is placed onto the sculpture with a certain flick of the wrist that the Maestro has mastered and that I fumbled grandly. Luckily I’m stubborn and though I splashed myself a bit I finally did manage to cover the entire half each time. The plaster has an initial splat as it hits the mould and the remainder flicks off in little splashes, but generally adheres every small crack of the statue, slipping on like a white robe over the pink silicone.

 

The Initial Sculpture

We used plasticine which is another word for clay (it’s really quite the hand exercise). Once the clay warms though its quite enjoyable. After I had the basic shape I went on to add different pieces like the flames and the water droplets. The additive process of creating a model is interesting because you have to be so careful to make sure the not only are pieces are placed in the correct place, but also that they will stick there otherwise they will peel off with the rubber or the rubber will slip between the cracks and create a different mould than the one you wanted.

(This is only one side)

The Bronze Pouring

 We watched the white and silver clad casters ready themselves to pour the bronze into the waiting rectangles of plaster and wax. At the opposite end of the cold warehouse, a green fire blazed at the mouth of the furnace where the bronze was liquified, far down under the earth. Black smoke and the rapid movement of the chain obfuscated what was happening across the warehouse, keeping us in suspense. The excitement of the teacher hadn't left any time for him to explain what would happen, but the bronze announced it's own arrival and commanded the attention of the students. 
           The bucket suspended on the chain was a glowing neon orange pitcher whose brightness magnified the small black cracks on it's body. The bucket of bronze was cranked down and we saw the casters remove the impurities. Briquettes of black and orange were turned out with a shovel, whose tip was soon infected with the orange heat. The chain clanked again as the casters moved the pitcher forward and they used gloves and metal clamps to direct the bronze into the castings. The radiant stream of magma disappeared into the hole then resurfaced to glow faintly at the top of the casting. The light left splotchy colors pulsing behind my closed eyes, like I had stared at the afternoon sun. 

When it ended the chain and bucket moved to the back wall. Casters poured the remaining bronze into a small brick mould. The burning heat dimmed from the now empty pitcher. It darkened to an ashen black at the base until the light faded from the rim as well.

The Fantasy Foundation Fund

The following blog pieces are part of my internship at The Modern Art Foundry through the Fantasy Foundation Fund, Inc. The pictures are taken by iPhone and the writing selections are the more prosaic pieces from the Journal entries for the Foundation:

I woke early. It’s stilldark out when I climb into the cab at 6:30 AM. It would be a 45-minute drive via the BQE (Brooklyn QueensExpressway). I’m buzzing with energy so the ride seems longer and I’m fullyawake. I notice some landmarks on the way so that the road seems more familiarnext time. I liked the name of the street Steinway only later did I realize itsounded so familiar because of the brand name in making pianos. The piano factory is actually just down the road from the Foundry. The entire area seems like the outskirts of suburbia, the area with all the warehouses, but there are some gems here like the Steinway factory and the place that I am heading to, but I didn’t know what the place looked like so the first time I pulled up it took me a minute to realize I had arrived. Where were the big signs, the sleek exterior,and the center of sculptural birth? The car inched up further and I saw the small title written on a square poster board taped to the window of the heavy brickbuilding: MODERN ART FOUNDRY. The small relief sculpture at the door of a man pouring bronze relieved my worries; I was at the right place.