of Melbourne, Australia
Work in progress:
Friesian Animorph Vessel
October / November 2001
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A second (and larger than the first) Friesian spotted addition to the Animorph Series was undertaken throughout during October and November 2001 and is shown here in stages through to completion. There are many types of vessels in the world. We ourselves are vessels. Trees and plants are vessels. An egg is a vessel. The humble cow is a vessel. There is a popular notion that a vessel is a functional object - utilitarian and therefore unworthy of any deeper contemplation. But water (and other liquids) are the stuff of life, and holding them is a powerfully symbolic gesture. Indeed the act (however passive) of holding, as our bodies hold our life force, may even be seen as sacred. The 'morph' series of vessels arose out of contemplations of the symbolism of the vessel as a meeting point of divergent planes of existence. In this instance, the hind quarters of a quadruped have been turned around upon themselves, capturing its walking motion into a circle (ie the vessel is made to appear as though it may be walking and thus rotating itself, and this enclosing gait is drawn upwards so that the contours of the belly flow upwards to form the shape of an egg. |
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THE MAKING: |
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For those who have asked how a work of this type is made, here is a pictorial diary of the production of NightWing Catalogue item no. 00112. |
 Gluing up the core stock. |
 Shaping templates for the insets. |
 Cutting shapes for inlaying |
 Matching pattern blanks to pockets. |
 Gluing the Ebony insets into place. |
 Roughing down... with chips flying! |
 Hollowing out from each end. |
 Removing waste around the legs. |
 Detailing the leg contours. |
 Final sanding before lacquering. |
WITH THE FOLLOWING RESULT
as it was photographed for inclusion in the catalogue:
The finished work was among a number of new pieces included in a group
exhibition at Art Affairs Gallery (21 November - 2 December 2001).
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