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As I wrote in my blog back at the end of January, I thought I should go with an Appalachian Mountain Cargo Cult vibe for SATI (see Jan. 29th blog post) Looking back at it from the lofty perspective of June 8, 2022 (on a beautiful Appalachian Mountain day), I find that even I am offended by the idea. After all, I am an Appalachian Mountain resident.

Also, Susan (my wife and collaborator) really didn’t like the feet. After looking at it for several months (husbands are just slow) I realized I didn’t like them either.

So… Out goes the Appalachian Mountain Cargo Cult vibe. In comes the Steam Punk vibe. New Neo-industrial feet. I am presently taking a really old corn huller to recover the external and internal gears. I am planning to use the bottom shelf of an old large kitchen serving cart to add a riff on the feet to the back of the dish area. We will see.

Long time no write. I didn’t like the flatness of the first iteration of Ascent 1. I have added “flying buttresses” to give the sculpture more depth and complexity. I think I will call this sculpture Ascent Cathedral . I am in the process of applying many coats of rub on varnish. The layered glass that goes in the center will be added after the layers of finish have cured.

I finished the glue up of half of Ascent. More bad weather. It is difficult to get to the studio, so I did some thinking in Sketchup. I haven’t used Sketchup enough to be able to “create” in it without a lot of tinkering. So, a lot of tinkering later, this is what I got. Let’s pretend gray transparent areas are the glass and the other is cedar. These drawings got me thinking about doing a series of sculptures of various sizes and glass placement. Lot’s of ideas. Some diptychs, some singles. You know, tychs, diptychs, triptychs, then thundering herds roaming art galleries. Can you see it, migrating sculptures?

I like to work on more than one project at a time. That way when I get stuck on one, I can work on another. For a little while. While I was working on SATI (Search for Any Terrestrial Intelligence), I reached a point where I needed a break. So… I started on Ascent. One of the reasons for the switch was WINTER. SATI is a large piece and I needed to work on it in my welding yard. With an emphasis on Yard. I was outdoors you know. So, Ascent. Smaller, all indoors. So far its cedar with plans for stacked glass and steel additions. It is a diptych. A fancy name for a two piece sculpture. I like diptychs. Their shape can be changed on site to fit the setting and lighting.

I have been working with steel in sculpture for a number of years. Several of the pieces I have made would have benefited from being able to shape the heated metal with a hammer and anvil. I had a hammer and anvil, but I didn’t have a way to heat medium to large pieces of steel other than an oxy acetylene torch. This used too much gas to be financially feasible. Starting and shutting down the oxy acetylene torch numerous times was a real pain. So in December, I built a coal forge from spare parts. I used a truck brake drum/disc for the firepot, some old steel pipe and a broken BBQ grill. I got the coal for free. I ordered and have received a precut tong kit from Ken’s Custom Iron Store. I haven’t had time to build them yet. There a number of knockoff versions available, but I thought since he developed thee idea, he should get the business. Once it warms up and the snow melts, I should be able to build them. Looking forward to forging steel.

SATI (The Search for Any Terrestrial Intelligence) I started out with this one being kind of like a sculptural satellite dish. These pictures were taken before the major steel parts needed to be assembled and connected to the base. This meant that it had to be moved to my welding yard which is exactly what it sounds like. Outside. WINTER. I had to stop work on it due to the weather. It is over 5 feet tall and has steel components. I started on a small piece that I could work on inside. While I have been working on Ascent, I have been giving a lot of thought to SATI.

I live in the Smokie Mountains. No cell phone connection, very bad internet connection. So.. I think I will give SATI an Appalachian Mountain Cargo Cult vibe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult Maybe bridge the steel ribs of the “dish” with stitched rusted steel roof ? Make the feed horn shaft out of a steel fence post with the feed horn made of a Campbell soup can? Some thing that looks like a satellite dish made to “lure” broadband like the city folks seem to have.

I had an idea of making a steel flower series. The first successful flower was a Calla Lily. This one will live in a friend’s garden. These are not going to be exact representations, but a steel semblances of flowers.

I made the Calla Lily out of a heavier gauge of steel than was either necessary or smart. It is actually very difficult to bend cold steel. What I hadn’t thought about was that when you hammer cold steel you are “work hardening” it. Each time you hit the steel with a hammer, it gets harder to bend or shape. Who would have thought? Every blacksmith, metal worker, metallurgist, but not me. So… A forge is in my future. I am building one now out of an old brake drum rotor. That should help with the whole “work hardening” thing. Flowers are VERY curvy, not flat at all. Onward and all that.

I would like to thank John Chicoine and the Haywood County Senior Resource Center for a two month exhibit of Amaranth. I would also like to thank Larry Reeves and Karen Hammett for the invaluable assistance in transporting and installing the sculpture. Drive by the center and see it near the front door.

This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.