The Process

Today I started to put my bigger sculpture together for Long Branch, New Jersey, Shore Institute of Contemporary Art. I have two that will go there, one is already completed. There is not any stipend money involved, but I need to create big now, as I am in my springtime energy mode, and I have lots of energy. I need sunlight in my eyes as well. It is really great to finially be able to go outside and actually spend the day out in the sunlight. However, tonight the temps go back down to 19 ! Anyhow. My process for this big guy called "Balance which is made from steel,
concrete and wood with fiberglass finish, and some stainless steel, is quiet fascinating. This is going to determine how well concrete holds up in a larger form, only hollow inside. The weight is critical as I will have to be able to lift it onto the sculpture by hand, or hands as it will be from my van. So, careful planning is made to have just the right amount of concrete , and places to hold the thing to move it.
19 degrees is too cold to mix concrete and cure properly too, so now this is going to hold me back some. I have untill May 1st to complete it, May 2nd, is my deadline. Anyhow. Here are a few pictures to show you what I am doing. (The 36" Dia, 18" deep hole is for the mold to fit into to pour the concrete and form it up and around the inside of my frame. I will put plastic down in the hole once I am ready. You need something to push the concrete onto with the wire mesh and steel frame on the inside of it. Nobody had this large size mold that I could find, and this will work fine as I have done this before.
This is the steel frame which is just tied together with rebar ties.

This is the cage with the chicken wire wrapped and tied.
I believe I will add a few more steel frame pieces in a horizontal
position to help keep the concrete from having weak spots.


I also have two 3/4" pressure treated 4'x8' pieces of plywood glued and screwed and drying as well. I will cut the legs of this sculpture out of that.

The idea here is to place the globe in the hole I dug, I will
concrete half of the sphere, then once it is set pretty well, about 1.5 days I will turn it over and concrete and secure the rest of it. I will leave a hole to do this as the top will not leave me access, then I will have formed a little trap door that I can pull from inside once I am finished the other half and tie it and complete my globe!! Wont this be soooo cool?
I love it. Perhaps I should make it a time capsule and put something special in side the globe incase anybody ever breaks it open. Yea! I think I will.
Tomorrow
Karen