VIEW IN MY ROOM
United States
Drawing, Paper on Paper
Size: 18 W x 24 H x 0.1 D in
Ships in a Tube
One of a series of squares composed of hasty patterns, this drawing lacked something. As I wadded it up I had the idea to look at it again, and the smeared, wrinkled texture gave the picture a whole new life.I went back in with pencils and eraser to bring the paper texture and the composition into harmony. I'm always watchful for serendipitous accidents. This wrinkled one led to a series of pieces in steel, some of which are on this site at jamesmckennametal. Almost all the time, we're not looking at things that recognized as "beautiful." But beauty is absolutely everywhere, in the tangles and juxtapositions of our lives.
Drawing:Paper on Paper
Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork
Size:18 W x 24 H x 0.1 D in
Frame:Not Framed
Ready to Hang:Not applicable
Packaging:Ships Rolled in a Tube
Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.
Handling:Ships rolled in a tube. Artists are responsible for packaging and adhering to Saatchi Art’s packaging guidelines.
Ships From:United States.
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United States
Endurance and authenticity are the core of my 3D work. Many of my steel works are made with salvage steel and wood. Many are the exact shape and size in which they were found. Fragile surface features of metal—often various shades of rust—are preserved with careful hardware attachment and final assembly. Wood backings—mostly oak—are salvaged from hard-used industrial pallets. The surface of each of these boards is burned with an intense flame. Inner wood retains its strength, but the surface is cracked and fissured. Whether a material is raw, brightened, polished, burned or any of the other surfaces I use—all colors are inherent in the material. Steel appears in familiar gray, or it can be various hues of rust. It can even show colors natural to the metal when it is subjected to heat and glows red, yellow, or even white. Brass and copper may be bright or darkened with patina. Gilding is the butter yellow of pure gold. Texture is essential. Unusual uses of industrial tools create a wide range of textures. Some pieces of steel are spattered with liquid steel. Others have lines ground into them or deep gouges burned out with an electric-arc-based tool that reaches temperatures of 40,000 degrees, instantly boiling the metal and blasting it away. Materials you see in my works have had hard lives, but they have endured. Through all their transformations they remain themselves. An array of these works on your wall speaks of the your own authenticity, and of your endurance. I began in metal years ago as an undergraduate. Then it was small-scale objects of copper, brass, and sliver. Even then I leaned into the raw. My work often mirrored the rough aesthetic of Arte Povera. Through stints in writing, furniture making, photography, I developed my mature style. My work took on nuance and focus. The challenges and satisfactions of my life path underlie my art practice. What I’ve seen and what I’ve done, things I recall with joy, things I try to forget—it’s all here, transformed by my commitment to follow this vision.
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