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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Signing the Sculpture Still Thoughts




Why is sculpture expensive?
Because it took me four hours to sign my name.

When I told my partner he wanted to know if I was moving in Butoh time.

I forget that sculpture is pretty foreign territory for most folks.
Signing the work means carving 21 letters in a tiny hardwood rectangle and then recessing and inserting it somewhere on the cedar sculpture without it calling too much attention to itself. I put it on the back, placed as if it were an obi sash.

I can't sign the cedar work directly as the wood won't permit that level of detail. I rubbed beeswax into all the checks in the wood, sealing it, so that the mold rubber will release easily and not penetrate into any deep voids.

I used the Gayatri mantra to dedicate the sculpture, placing it behind the signature block. The mantra is lovely. (It sounds like something the Unitarians would write- if the Unitarians were around 25000 years ago.)

we meditate on the glory of creation
and that which creates the cosmos
which deserves our praise
and which embodies wisdom and luminosity
and dissolves all separateness and ignorance
may this glory infuse our intelligence


May we have another 2500 years to practice getting it right.........,

3 comments:

Bob Tinsley said...

Beautifully done, Patrick. Fantastic use of the grain. I can't believe that was a happy accident. You must have seen that pattern in the raw block of wood. Excellent eye!

Bob

patrickgracewood said...

Yes, Bob, I saw it coming, but you know in carving there are always surprises. I never believe it until it's done.

Dutchbaby said...

Gorgeous!