PATRONAGE PROJECT 1999 - 2003
SAN FRANCISCO
SAN FRANCISCO
In the fall of 1993 we moved from our house in Mendocino to San Francisco. I hoped to be able to receive more commissions for mosaics works, but though I presented several proposals to various competitions, I was not successful. I worked at other jobs, such as illustrating college biology texts, but had no other art outlets.
On December 9, 1998, I wrote to a list of friends asking them to consider buying a set of four different and as-yet unmade works through subscription. This was part of the proposal announcement:
I will make and deliver to my Patrons, Four Works of Art.
These works will be in Four Categories:
• A free-standing Sculpture
• A wall Relief
• A two-dimensional Work
• An Illustrated Text, in folio format
These works may be, but may not be, in a limited edition.
The proposed Dates of Delivery of the four works will be March, June, September and December of 1999.
As of now, I do not know what these Works will be or look like any more than you do. This is an enterprise of Mutual Trust. I will trust you to send me Quarterly Payments (or a total pre-payment), and you will trust me to give you or send you (depending on your location) Four Quality Works.
The Subscription cost for these Four Works will be $1,000.
Aside from an attempt to earn some money, I wanted to challenge myself to make a series of multiples in different media, learning techniques of reproduction on a small and personally feasible scale.
Two of these works were the relief and freestanding sculptures shown below.
The other two works were a framed print with a cast relief, and an illustrated book in a boxed folio.
On December 9, 1998, I wrote to a list of friends asking them to consider buying a set of four different and as-yet unmade works through subscription. This was part of the proposal announcement:
I will make and deliver to my Patrons, Four Works of Art.
These works will be in Four Categories:
• A free-standing Sculpture
• A wall Relief
• A two-dimensional Work
• An Illustrated Text, in folio format
These works may be, but may not be, in a limited edition.
The proposed Dates of Delivery of the four works will be March, June, September and December of 1999.
As of now, I do not know what these Works will be or look like any more than you do. This is an enterprise of Mutual Trust. I will trust you to send me Quarterly Payments (or a total pre-payment), and you will trust me to give you or send you (depending on your location) Four Quality Works.
The Subscription cost for these Four Works will be $1,000.
Aside from an attempt to earn some money, I wanted to challenge myself to make a series of multiples in different media, learning techniques of reproduction on a small and personally feasible scale.
Two of these works were the relief and freestanding sculptures shown below.
The other two works were a framed print with a cast relief, and an illustrated book in a boxed folio.
NEST OF DREAMS
Nest of Dreams 1999
Cast and colored plaster, c. 20” diameter x 4.5” deep
Cast and colored plaster, c. 20” diameter x 4.5” deep
Nest of Dreams details
This is another circular relief, but very different from the earlier foil-based abstract pieces. With this tondo relief, I wanted to combine various levels of illusion as well as the movement of abstract shapes, taking ideas from my drawings of beasts and creatures to create a unified work of some mystery and complexity.
I used a large plastic saucer for potted plants as my base and built the piece on it in clay. The three eggs were real blown-out eggshells.
When the clay piece was finished I made a mold of it in silicon rubber and then cast each piece in plaster, with fiberglass reinforcement and thin metal rods to support the thin extensions of “horns” on some of the critters. It was a tedious process, especially in multiples.
The finish was a combination of paint and rub-on metallic paste.
I used a large plastic saucer for potted plants as my base and built the piece on it in clay. The three eggs were real blown-out eggshells.
When the clay piece was finished I made a mold of it in silicon rubber and then cast each piece in plaster, with fiberglass reinforcement and thin metal rods to support the thin extensions of “horns” on some of the critters. It was a tedious process, especially in multiples.
The finish was a combination of paint and rub-on metallic paste.
CHAMBER PLAYERS
CHAMBER PLAYERS 2003
Nine bronze figurines 1 ¼” to 2 ¾” high, with a wooden box with four drawers.
Nine bronze figurines 1 ¼” to 2 ¾” high, with a wooden box with four drawers.
I wanted a piece that could be rearranged and played with, composed mainly of critters harkening back to my drawings and to some of the performers in my theatrical works. In fact, this was to be a piece with theatrical or performance potential, like a kid’s dollhouse.
I made dozens of small freestanding clay figures and selected nine for the piece. I then made silicon rubber molds of all nine figures, and used these molds to make many wax casts of each figure. These wax figures were then cast into bronze at the Artworks Foundry in Berkeley.
I made dozens of small freestanding clay figures and selected nine for the piece. I then made silicon rubber molds of all nine figures, and used these molds to make many wax casts of each figure. These wax figures were then cast into bronze at the Artworks Foundry in Berkeley.
Assorted clay figurines 2002
My subscribers each received one set of nine bronze figurines in the wooden box with four drawers. In addition to their function as storage cabinet for the figurines, the box and drawers could be used as a stage set for the nine Chamber Players.