Sculpture
David Smith
It was a leap, shelving the canvases and laying the brushes down in order to explore the limitlessness of three-dimensional art. There was a calling to move away from the static, explore 3 dimensions, enable movement yet maintain the tranquility and ease I have achieved in my Horizon paintings.
My first explorations were in balancing two objects upon a pedestal, from there to finding equilibrium in hanging forms of wood and metal interconnected with steel bars and wire. Finally adding in form and colour.
Enter Alexander Calder (1898 – 1976) the artist who introduced us to the concept of the “mobile”. I had been exposed to Calder’s works by my mother at a very early age however it was not until a recent trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario where I had my first viewing of an original piece, Black Crescent. On display is my homage to the man who inspired me to challenge my creative mind, to work in a discipline where my only limitation is gravity and even gravity revealed room to be influenced. Calder said, “Just as one can compose colours, or forms, so one can compose motion”.
In this display I have explored Calder’s techniques of wire and metal work, I have attempted to pay tribute to his apparent ease in shape and composition and hopefully for the viewer the captivating bliss of just looking.
My home is Victoria, my garage is my workshop, my sanctuary, where I think, where I build, I falter, think again, and build again.
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