Derek Charleton - Control

 

Derek Charleton

Control

2022

4' x 7' x 4 1/2'

This would be my second/third time creating an installation piece, however, this would be my first time combing both videos with my steel sculptural work. I had been planning on doing mixed media, video, and sculpture pieces for a while but never really had a reason to execute making one until this semester when I had both a video class and the sculpture class. The key objective I wanted from this piece is to see if I can an element to my sculptures to bring them more alive and surreal with the means of both sound and video. Some inspiration for the piece came from both the dark and terrifying control cults have had on their followers and the megachurch television evangelists.

Derek Charleton - Rust

 

Derek Charleton

Rust

2022

5" x 13" 4 1/2"

The Rust figure was mostly an experiment with the aging and rusting of steel utilizing an older figure I had made for another sculpture; the House. The House sculpture had sat out for about two semesters, allowing the piece to naturally rust and decay before I decided to rip off some of the figures attached and re-use them. I took each figure that I took off and repaired fragile parts, such as the arms and legs, sprayed a little bit of vinegar and salt on it, and set them back outside to let some of the fresh mig welds rust over. I think there is something to be said about both the beauty and the discomfort with the decay and destruction of steel.

Derek Charleton - Melt

 

Derek Charleton

Melt

2022

13" x 12" x 10"

The melt figure was an idea derived from melted, pooled-up steel deposits from welding along with found objects that I had collected together in the metal shop. Just like the previous figure of the semester, Stride, my goal was to make the sculpture to appear as if it was fluid and organic rather than being too rigid. At the same time, trying to further push my processes of welding further and expand the figures I make in different forms and different poses. I also wanted to see if I could heat up the legs in a way with the figure, push it into the base, weld and build up from there to make the figure appear as if it was melting down or coming up from the ground.

Natalie Evans

Amber Kinson

Grace Schacterle

Grace Schacterle

Glisten

2022

Plaster, metal mesh, canvas, paint

9" x 3" x 11" 

I made Glisten because I wanted to create something smooth and soft out of typically rigid materials like metal and plaster. I bent metal mesh to look like bunched up fabric. Then, using plaster bandages and plaster, I built up layers and sanded them down until smooth. Lastly, I painted it white and added iridescent varnish. I used a gloss varnish to make it look like satin and almost as if it were wet. Eventually, I would like to experiment with different methods of creating something like this to see if I can make it more realistic, as well as building it on a larger scale.

 

Jeff Kim

 

Jeff Kim

My Current Life stage

2022

Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Soil, Peat Moss, Corn Stocks, Dried Grass

10’ 4” X 16’ X 16’

In Japanese culture, Cherry Blossoms represent how short and fleeting life really is and how incredibly beautiful from its infancy to death. The moment when the blossoms start to sprout and bloom the explosion of life happens very quickly and the beauty of the flowers in full bloom is mesmerizing. As the flowers start to fall from the tree showering the landscape with a beautiful blanket of color everywhere is intoxicating. This cycle of life happens in about 15 days, which represents fleeting and beautiful life. This project tries to capture the stage in my life at this moment as the cycle of my life is in transition into the next beautiful position where the flowers are falling. Life has been incredibly beautiful, and this stage of my life is just as beautiful as the beginning.        

 

 

Jeff Kim

 

 

 

 

Jeff Kim

Rebirth to an Artist

2022

Stainless Steel, Mild Steel

22" X 45" X 40" 

 

The lotus flower is India’s National Flower. In the religious symbolism of Buddhism and Hinduism, the lotus flower is a sign of divinity and served as a symbol for art, culture, and philosophy. The Lotus flower represents purity, tranquility, and rebirth in many cultures. To me, the rebirth symbolism is the most intriguing as my path in life has had multiple rebirths. Today I am going through one of those rebirths and blossoming as an artist, a poetic symbol of the lotus flower in multiple a sense. One that reflects rebirth and art with a cultural change in philosophy.