Ping Sculpture

This piece is from a series titled, "Hand Pieces." All of them began as a meditation on the scroll form, which is found on most musical stringed instruments. Half way into the 13 works of the series, the scroll form became less obvious, as the visual vocabulary took on a life of its own. In each case, the pair is placed upon a double shelf, as thought they are being held toward the viewer. (Shelf included) "Ping" is a combination of simple forms, reminiscent of the forms in a series of larger works in wood, such as "Ruby" and "Burr". "Ruby", for example recalls the simplified forms of floating water birds. The front part of "Ping" suggests a figure reclining backward with legs prominent. Traditionally, wood patterns were used to produce molds for casting a metal object and were at times, discarded. In this case, however, the wood pattern has been "dressed up", dyed and varnished. In many cases, a gold powder has been added to the varnish, making them shimmer. The color schemes on the wood pieces vary. Conversely, all the bronzes have been painted with a grey metallic lacquer.