Project 3: Building three dimensional structures
Cairn (2019) Stevens, D. Height 350 mm; Stones
I chose cairns as the subject of my first in a series of four minor sculptures. Cairns are man-made stone mounds. They have been in existence since prehistoric times. The word Cairn originates from the Scots Gaelic term Carn. They have been used for a variety of purposes. In many parts of the world, they were used as markers on trails and waterways. They have been used for ceremonies, as burial markers, coastal guides and have also been linked to hunting and astrology.
I took to the beach once again. This time I would restrict my search to stones. Of course, these shores at Pett Level have an abundance of pebbles. To make things a little more interesting, I singled out stones with a maroon tinge. I gathered them up into my cloth sack and furtively made my way back to my vehicle. I’m not sure if it’s illegal to remove stones from the beach but hey ho. I placed the collection onto a work bench and admired my choices. Some weeks ago, I took some photos of these impressive cairns that had been assembled on the same beach. I think that experience may have subconsciously prompted my choice for this subject.
I began to sketch the pebbles as they lay in a disorderly pile on my workbench. I thought about the relief sculpture I’d created for project one. I wanted to avoid the mistakes I’d made with regards to adhesion. It was my intention to hot glue each stone and form a small table top cairn. It would be a futile exercise without suitable preparation. I laboriously coated each stone with a sealant. This would ensure good adhesion. I’d lost the matt look of the stones as they took on a polished lustre created by the sealant. It was as though they been washed with sea spray itself. I have a more sophisticated idea of how to construct the cairn. I would use a high- speed lapidary drill to bore holes in each pebble. I would then use 3 mm wire to join them together. I resolved to use the hot glue gun for economy of money and time.
I randomly glued the stones together. Starting with the larger stones to form a solid foundation, I worked my way upward in a spiral fashion. Each stone supporting the next one. I paused from time to time, standing back to see the cairns progress. I stopped once I’d reached the optimum 35 cm height. I felt pleased with my efforts with one exception. The appearance of the milky white, cooled glue oozing from each layer gave the game away. I cheated a little as I took photos at certain angles in an effort to disguise this feature. On reflection, I suppose I could have painstakingly painted the glue with a suitably coloured acrylic paint.
Metbox soliloquy (2019) Stevens, D. Height 350 mm; Metal and wood.
For the second in the series of small sculptures, I chose Malevich’s arkhitektons as an inspiration. This idea did not readily spring to mind. It was the result of a painstaking hunt through the drawers of a previous incarnation as an electrician. I discovered a stash of electrical socket, metal back boxes. These are made from galvanised steel and come in various sizes. I could see their potential straight away. They are riddled with fixing holes and internal threaded tags. I had the idea of bolting the boxes together much like Meccano. The open boxes could be placed together to give the appearance of solid block formations.
The plinth was cut from a fine piece of four by two-inch prepared pine. I screwed an open box on to the wood as a starter. This would act as a solid foundation. Fixing the boxes together required some thought. I had to drill strategically placed holes in each box. These holes had to align with the internal threaded tags. I developed the sculpture with a certain amount of randomness, twisting each piece this way and that. Akin to the style of German sculptor Stepan Siebers, the whole piece gives the illusion of improbable balance. I stained the wood using Colron wood dye.
Incandescent memoriam (2019) Stevens, D. Height 350 mm; Glass and metal.
Following another hunt through the garage, I found some old incandescent bulbs. These would be the inspiration for my third in the series of small sculptures. I began to construct a totem-like sculpture using the bulbs. It required deftness of hand. Of course, I couldn’t balance each bulb on top of another without a little help. I employed some Plasticine to fix each bulb in place. This method allowed me to experiment with a variety of positions. I found and used jam jar lids to separate each bulb, recalling imagery of vintage, enamel candle holders. After some deliberation, I finally decided on a particular order. Start big and finish small, like a politician perhaps. The bulbs are the remnants of a pre-energy saving era. My aim was to present the sculpture as a memoriam to that era.
At the the next stage, I fixed all the pieces in place using a hot glue gun. I had hoped to get on to the painting at this stage, however, disaster struck. As soon as the brush hit the glass, the fragility of the piece became apparent. The hot glue gave way. It’s adhesive properties were sadly lacking for this particular job.
So, on to the final stage. I had decided from the outset that I would decorate the piece to give a weathered bronze appearance. I decided to paint each piece before assembly. I used the trusted Zinsser 123 primer for the first coat. This quality universal primer is great for virtually any material and dries rapidly. The second coat is my own recipe made up from an assortment of acrylics. To get the fresh bronze base colour you’ve got to aim at a drab olive hue. It looked ghastly at this stage. After that second coat had dried I moved on to the verdigris. Again, the verdigris was made up from a mix of different matt acrylic paints.
The application method is important when attempting to achieve an authentic quality. Smooth surfaces are more difficult than those with nooks and crannies. I made random daubing’s in short stages. I methodically wiped the verdigris with a rag before it had a chance to dry. It takes practise to get it right. I have done this many times before. The final stage involved the application of a metallic finish. I initially decided to use a bronze gilders wax. This had become dry over the last three or four years. Even with the addition of some white spirit, I wasn’t achieving the desired effect. I moved on to an acrylic metallic bronze paint. The trick with this paint is to use sparingly. Less is more. You can use a dilutant such as Liquitex but that’s for the faint-hearted. I used very light strokes with a small art brush to form a realistic effect. Upon completion, I super glued each piece into position. Finished.
Toy story (2019) Stevens, D. Height 350 mm; Plastic
I took another trip to the local charity shop for further inspiration. Of course, I’d much prefer to rummage around at a recycling centre, however, their strict rules prohibit the general public from foraging in their skips. I don’t know if this is a blanket policy across the UK, if so, that would be a shame. I understand the health and safety issues but what an untapped rich seam for the creative mind. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. I had this idea about dolls heads. I would create a totem structure using plastic dolls heads. There were no dolls heads but I managed to find some small toys. They would serve the same purpose. For one pound I purchased a donkey, a toucan, an elephant and two recently popular toys called minions.
The original colourful state of the toys represent the vibrancy and promise of tender new life. I begin my construction by painting the items with the Zinsser 123 primer. To maintain stability of the proposed totem I need to drill holes in strategic places. I thread stiff 2 mm wire through the holes of each item. This allows me to experiment with different arrangements until I hit on the optimum. I now placed each item on top of each other to seek out good balance.
I dismantled the totem and painted each item individually. I used some black, heat resistant paint for this purpose, no specific reason other than it was an old tin knocking around and needed to be used. This black background would serve as an antiquing effect to the final metallic coating. I wanted to create a sort of steam punk effect so I elected to use some copper wax for this final coat. I lightly rubbed the surface of the toys with a rag dipped in the wax. This action transformed the items into something quite remote from their previous existence. No longer viewed as toys but more a symbolic reference to the transience of time.
Red glass totem (2019) Stevens, D. Height = 900 mm; Glass
I drove into Ore village to seek out some things to construct a totemic sculpture. I wasn’t sure what things but something was bound to jump out at me. There are two charity shops in the village, Macmillan and Sue Ryder. It was whilst I was rummaging through the shelves at the latter that I discovered a dust covered selection of red glassware. They were the sort of items that were all the rage in the 1960’s and 70’s. They seemed to sit there lonely and unwanted. They probably had at one time stood pride of place within a nicotine stained display cabinet in an otherwise dull living room. Perhaps they had clattered atop a hostess trolley pushed through shag-pile. Stored in a loft, the leftover relics of a sometime snuffed out soul. These effects are often the castoffs of the highest bidding house clearer. Looking beyond the kitsch value, I saw the translucent red glass with all its connotations as representing a naive bygone era.
I purchased eleven glasses and five decorative china saucers all for less than a fiver. Sadly, I broke one dessert bowl whilst exiting my car on arrival back home. I had already mentally constructed the totemic sculpture before reaching my studio. It was all a question of which order I would place the various glasses in. I wanted to retain the redness, make it stand out further. I thought that the clear glass stems would detract from the beauty of the translucent red. I painted each stem with Zinsser primer followed by a bland, neutral matt black. I wanted to use the saucers to give the piece the appearance of having tiers. I gave the saucers the same treatment.
Once the paint had dried overnight, I began to experiment with different arrangements. I finally chose the brandy glass placed on a saucer as the base for the structure. I could only reach a certain height without permanently fixing each item. Too much would see the whole thing crashing to the ground. By this stage I had a mental picture of where each piece would end up. The saucers would be equi-spaced and topped off with the two tallest, elegant glasses. I used industrial strength super glue to fix each piece into place. Just out of curiosity, I thought I’d do some research … see if others have made totemic glass sculptures. It was a bit disappointing to discover that others have had the same idea and many examples put mine in the shade.
‘Red glass totem’ Large drawing using charcoal and acrylic paint. Dimensions: 1.25 metre x 70 cm’s. See also, Project 4.
Green Glass Totem (2019) Stevens, D.
I couldn’t resist another attempt.
Oxidation (2019) Stevens, D. Height = 900 mm; Polystyrene and metal.
I chose polystyrene as the medium for this totemic sculpture. It’s a material in abundance. I have many boxes full stored in my loft. I wanted to demonstrate how to create an illusion of weightiness using ultra light materials. I took inspiration from Malevich’s Arkhitektons, Jacques Schnier and the work of German sculptor Stephan Siebers. Much of his work centres on imbalance that in turn, relates to the human condition. It portrays emotional instability with a longing for security.
I randomly picked out several pieces. Using some 3 mm wire, I was able to construct several variations of my prospective sculpture. Once I’d decided on the final arrangement I began to construct the work using the wire and hot glue. I knew from the start that this was not going to end up looking like a pile of polystyrene. It was going to represent post industrialisation. A corroded hulk of unidentified machinery. Each piece stands precariously on another. A symbolic gesture to a gradual decline of the the old world order. A creeping realisation that the planet cannot sustain itself based on current economic models.
Before permanently fixing each piece into place I painted internal and ‘hard to get’ to areas. I used the Zinsser as a primer. I coloured this paint using different dyes to achieve a colour that closely resembled rust. This colouration will not show but is merely a safeguard in case the top coat finish reveals any untouched areas.
At the next stage I prepare my own recipe for what will be the true rust finish. It’s a process I devised about five years ago. I have sculptures that have weathered well in that period with no peeling or wearing off. It will adhere to anything. I brush the concoction on to the primed polystyrene and leave to dry. This usually takes about three hours at average temperature.
The next stage requires some protective equipment. Gloves, eye goggles and a suitable vapour mask. I recommend 3M 4251 for organic vapours. As this process involves highly corrosive acid it is advisable to wear suitable clothing and have a plan of action for spillage or splashes. I mix muriatic acid with hydrogen peroxide and brush on to the painted surface. After a couple of hours I use a watering can to sprinkle my activation solution on to the sculpture. Rust will begin to develop after three or four hours. The natural elements will accelerate this reaction.
‘Oxidation’ Large drawing using charcoal and water colour. Dimensions: 1.25 metre x 70 cm’s. See also, Project 4.
BA Hons Creative Arts: Starting out in 3D: Sculpture 1 
