Harrell Fletcher on Social Practice

After looking through his writings I got a very vivid picture of his art practice and how, rather than being studio practice, it is social practice where he allows himself the freedom to do work that is not so tied to the commercial art world. Some of the things that really stood out to me, and obviously did to him, was an undergraduate class he was in. The first day the class was told to pick an outdoor physical activity to do during class time for the rest of the semester. Harrel decided to walk on railroad tracks and became very good at it by the time they met together at the end of the semester. Of all the classes he took, he remembers this one better than all the lectures, exams, assignments, and discussions that were part of his other classes.

I was also impressed by what he said about teaching; "Most of what I do as an art professor now is based not my art education but instead on my farming education."Harrel spent some time doing a farm apprenticeship following graduate school which turned into a very important learning experience. I'm also reminded of something he mentions, which we also discussed in sculpture class last semester. The basic premise is that our education system is not set up for teaching as well as it could be. I find there to be solid logic behind this and agree with his philosophy in many ways.

Steel Brackets and Architectural Space

For some reason or another, I am drawn to heavy duty, well built or even overbuilt construction. I think part of it may be that I get a sense of satisfaction out of something that's durable and made to last; also, I'm not interested in going at length through all the necessary calculations so as to minimize the amount of strength required. As a precaution and so as to reduce risk of failure, I aim toward the other extreme. There are times though when a project of mine does not have quite the durability that I had expected. In situations like that, the piece will exist in a more fragile state, but should function be an important factor, I seek out a way to reinforce the piece and make it stronger. I use this word loosely. When I talk about strength, I'm thinking of it in terms of implied in addition to the physical characteristics and ability to withstand force. When reinforcing the piece is not an option, I look for a way to protect the piece during storage and transport, as in a crate or space in which the object can reside.

I'm thinking of these things in relation to my sculptures and also in terms of architectural space. In order to create an installation of my work, I'm considering how I might convert a traditional gallery space into an industrial setting, one set up like a warehouse/shipping yard. In that case, some of these industrial design elements can be infused in my work and in the units I create, sculptures in themselves, which replace the traditional white pedestal.

Train Couplers

Bridges

Pipes, Mortor, Screws, and Nails...and a Chain

Connections--Piping

Art in Relation to Crates

In terms of building crates for works of art, there are some scale concerns that come to the forefront when the object is to be displayed with this container. The wood itself is "life-size," a 1 to 1 ratio to reality. The object itself may be a different scale, however. In my case, my sculptures are generally smaller than life size. This issue of a sculpture, sitting on a pallet or other wooden structure, in relation to this other object is something I'm still trying to figure out.

Let's say I place a clay trestle on a sheet of plywood, as I have done in the past. There are two contrasting scales at work (unless of course the trestle fills a museum or the plywood is "miniature," a word I hesitate to use.) Changing these variables completely alters the context. One variable I have considered is the plywood or other type of wooden base. I've asked myself if that should be the same scale as the piece. I also wonder if it is something with which I should concern myself, since I'm very much interested in this idea of transportation and moving of objects or goods. The crates I build seem to naturally fit within our expectations, as seen in these well built shipping crates at the Walla Walla Foundry. These are fulfilling a utilitarian use separate from the object. I'm seeking to merge the two.

One reason I feel this is important to address centers around the sculpture in relation to other objects. If the objects around the sculpture are smaller, the sculpture will naturally appear larger. By the same token, if the crate I build seems to large for the piece, the sculpture will feel smaller. My ceramic pieces shrink significantly through the process of making, shrinking anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of it's original size by the time it comes out of the final firing. Size and scale inherently go along with this material.