tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12243036295342578842024-03-17T21:58:30.808-07:00Art ConcreteConcrete as an art material, including links, new developments, jewelry, sculpture and other interesting art objects or concrete projects.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-7838702678399018612020-01-23T08:08:00.000-08:002020-01-23T08:08:14.181-08:00<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: orange;"><span></span></span><span style="color: orange;">Concrete That Can Reproduce</span></span><br />
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A new type of concrete is under development -- a concrete that is said to be "alive." Not alive in the usual sense, but alive in that it is able to reproduce.<br /><br />This concrete is being researched at the University of Colorado, Boulder by an interdisciplinary team using cyanobacteria, microbes that use photosynthesis to capture energy and use that energy to absorb carbon dioxide from the air, turning the sand in the mix into calcium carbonate, or cement. The trial mixture is water, sand, nutrients, cyanobacteria and gelatin (which seems to help the matrix built by the bacteria).<br /><br />Experimental blocks reached maximum strength over a few days, but even after several weeks they were still alive and were able to spawn new blocks when put in molds with new ingredients. The potential advantage of this system is that it does not use Portland cement, and is not fussy about the type of sand it uses: it could even be recycled glass or recycled concrete. There are really positive environmental implications.<br /><br />Funding for the project was through Darpa, the US Department of Defense's speculative research arm.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/science/construction-concrete-bacteria-photosynthesis.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/science/construction-concrete-bacteria-photosynthesis.html</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(19)30391-1">https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(19)30391-1</a><br />
<br />Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-31594134206848012382016-05-20T06:59:00.000-07:002016-05-20T06:59:12.873-07:00Concrete That Glows in the Dark<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wHtIjRRhAg-1OI3mVF5b_9RdA5Dsp2OB3MuOEGiR4rsDQGNhIPquCrpkSBbLKn4LLGXoqelNB6N70zkiMZqHiRn0poXyINib0IQd5rxo_1G2jWph1uaPhZh9w9jWzES75S1zKjY1vDhG/s1600/glow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wHtIjRRhAg-1OI3mVF5b_9RdA5Dsp2OB3MuOEGiR4rsDQGNhIPquCrpkSBbLKn4LLGXoqelNB6N70zkiMZqHiRn0poXyINib0IQd5rxo_1G2jWph1uaPhZh9w9jWzES75S1zKjY1vDhG/s320/glow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo : Investigación y Desarrollo)</td></tr>
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There has been an amazing development in the field of concrete. A concrete currently under development has the ability to glow in the dark. During the day it absorbs energy from the sun and is able to emit light during the night for up to 12 hours. The research is underway at Mexico’s Michoacan’s University of San Nicolas Hidalgo.<br />
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Whether or not this material is bright enough that it could be used to replace street lighting remains to be seen, but the possibilities for creative uses are really exciting. Imagine sculptures made from this material! Or if it scales down, jewellery! <br />
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José Carlos Rubio, a professor at the University, is the product’s inventor. It has been nine years of research and development and is currently being commercialized.<br />
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When water is added to Portland cement powder, crystals form that block light making the resulting concrete opaque. Apparently Rubio has discovered a method to make those crystals transparent, enabling sunlight to penetrate. It is not clear what material has been added to make the concrete phosphorescent, but it is not a plastic that will break down over time. The professor claims that the phosphorescence should last for 100 years. <br />
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<a href="http://www.domain.com.au/news/mexican-scientist-invents-glowinthedark-cement-20160518-gox3bp/" target="_blank">http://www.domain.com.au/news/mexican-scientist-invents-glowinthedark-cement-20160518-gox3bp/ </a><br />
<a href="http://materia.nl/article/illuminating-innovation-glow-dark-cement/">http://materia.nl/article/illuminating-innovation-glow-dark-cement/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/glow-in-the-dark-cement_us_573b2761e4b060aa781b42f6">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/glow-in-the-dark-cement_us_573b2761e4b060aa781b42f6</a>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-68933157781131390612014-09-14T20:11:00.004-07:002014-09-14T20:11:49.086-07:00Ageing Concrete<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSnoq0wHxnQ8EpGi2sHaM-c21GBvvvNYwG7hOUbqMY3MDTSDV5JcnVO03KonQBacI_4zcoXDggdPd4k-f_cm5c4DT1j7r0h2pOPNCY2R0GQpAqyvFiIvs1yJ8Z0HDCRuHW7epvJG96ypC/s1600/concrete-breakwall.JPG" height="300" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concrete rubble breakwall</td></tr>
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A ten minute bike ride from my studio there is a concrete breakwall that keeps Georgian Bay waves away from a small boat launch. This blog isn't about concrete construction, but the surfaces of these huge blocks made me rethink how I see concrete.<br />
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When concrete is formed and when it sets, it looks like concrete. There is no mistaking it for another material, although some sculptors change the surface to make it look more like stone. Some even use metallic pigments to make it look like metal. But it is what it is and from my point of view, that's the way it should be. Concrete is a simple and honest material. Leave it alone. Look at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadao_Ando">Tadao Ando's concrete</a> to see what I mean.<br />
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But I think my opinions are changing. Seeing these massive broken concrete slabs above and below the water made me realize that what you are actually making <i>is </i>a kind of stone. Portland cement, the "glue" in concrete, is made by super-heating limestone or chalk to release the water that is chemically combined in it, and when water is added back to it it actually becomes a stone once again binding other aggregates together. These old blocks at the water's edge now have surfaces rich with lichens, mosses and even small growing plants -- just like the natural limestone outcroppings in this area. The edges are worn from being moved around, some have cracked from ice and frost damage. They have a history, like the glacier-moved boulders we see in farmer's fields in Southern Ontario, only these old concrete slabs have their surfaces marked by people, machinery, and a shorter time span. Concrete is a man-made material, but give it enough time and it becomes more and more like what it came from.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-2336496505820964232014-09-04T11:05:00.000-07:002014-09-04T11:05:35.197-07:00QuestionsAs the author of <a href="http://makersgallery.com/concrete/handbook.html">Concrete Handbook for Artists</a> and a large <a href="http://makersgallery.com/concrete/index.html">website about concrete</a> I get asked a lot of questions in response to specific problems about small scale concrete objects and jewelry. Here are a few of the most frequently asked ones.<br />
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1. "Why is my work cracking? I remove it from a mold (or some other process) and a few days later I pick it up and it's cracked/broken." Almost invariably my first response is that you used too much water in the mix. The mix is too wet. For those who have worked in plaster, you must realize this is a completely different material. As a general rule, the LESS water you use, the better. You should be able to form a ball in your hand with the mix and stand it up on the table and it should not slump (or crack apart if it is too dry). It has to be damp, but not wet. Why is this? Doesn't concrete need lots of water to work? No, it only needs enough water to hydrate (chemically combine) with the particles of Portland cement. This is a chemical reaction, not a drying process. Any more than that minimal amount of water and you are left with tiny spaces in the final product which weakens it.<br />
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Next, you have to keep the work covered with plastic sheet for about a week so that all the water you put into it becomes hydrated with the cement, and not allowed to evaporate into the air. If the surface dries before it sets your final product will have a weak surface – read "soft, dusty." If you use too much water the concrete will also shrink more than it should. This can cause cracking as well. You can compensate for this by using lots of fibres (nylon, polypropylene, fibreglass, PVA.) Let the piece cure for at least a week before handling it. You can do surface work before this – carving, filing, adding a slurry to fill holes, etc. – but you must be very careful. Even after that week I like to keep work covered or let it sit underwater for another week or so before sealing.<br />
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2. "In jewelry, my concrete has shrunk and pulled away from the walls of the piece." See answer to Number 1 above. Too much water means too much shrinking. Use less water and add fibres.<br />
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3. "The surface seems soft, dusty, easy to scratch, even after it's cured for a week." I hate to repeat myself, but too-much-water is the probable cause.<br />
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4. "Where can I buy metakaolin? You talk about it all the time and I can't find less than a 50 pound bag?" Luckily there is now someone on Etsy selling smaller quantities. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ANVILandMUD/">https://www.etsy.com/shop/ANVILandMUD/</a> You can buy as little as two pounds. Unfortunately they only sell it if you are in the United States. Considering this is a white powder in a bag, you can see why they don't want it crossing any international borders.<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ANVILandMUD/"><img alt="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ANVILandMUD/" border="0" src="https://img0.etsystatic.com/005/1/6959018/il_170x135.401568918_wdf3.jpg" /></a></div>
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This Etsy shop quotes a concrete recipe from the Ganoksin Project. I thought it sounded familiar; then I realized I had written that Ganoksin article several years ago. Things come full circle...<br />
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5. Last question for this blog entry. "When I pull the object from the mold it is covered with (tiny/large) holes. What's happening?" Concrete contractors call these worm holes. They are from air bubbles in the mix. Depending on the type of mold, you need to vibrate the mix somehow so the bubbles float away from the surface of the mold. Large scale you can rent a concrete vibrator. Small scale you can tap the mold with a stick or a small hammer, all around the mold walls. You can also use an electric palm sander, and let the vibrating surface sit on sections of the mold wall. On the jewellery scale I use a vibrating engraver and hold the tip against sections of the mold. You will see the concrete slightly liquify as you do this. Do not do it excessively or the solids in the mix will start to separate and sink.<br />
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You also should try using a mold release agent. There are commercial ones available, some in a spray can, or you can make your own. There are various recipes on the internet, but they are usually oil-based and easy to make. Try to put them on in as thin a layer as possible.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-56588504611237819182013-09-01T08:31:00.001-07:002013-09-01T08:31:46.608-07:00Concrete LampsIt's always exciting to see concrete being used in a way you least expect it. You normally think of lighting as, well... "light." <span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.itaibaron.com/">Itai Bar-on</a> is an Israeli</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> company that has introduced a line of concrete lamps</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> called the Bullet Collection. </span><br />
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The light is diffused through a Perspex (acrylic) plate and they are available in a variety of different tints such as orange, blue or grey. Their web site explains that is was a collaboration between <span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.itaibaron.com/">Itai Bar-on</a> and Oded Webman, a Tel-Aviv based designer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Their <a href="http://www.itaibaron.com/free-concrete-tiles-1/">free-form concrete tiles</a> are also worth checking out.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.itaibaron.com/wp-content/gallery/free_concrete_tiles_1/willow_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.itaibaron.com/wp-content/gallery/free_concrete_tiles_1/willow_06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>Via Design-milk.com</span></span></span></span></div>
Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-58126098381827249232013-08-07T09:10:00.000-07:002013-08-07T09:10:48.443-07:00Hard Goods: Concrete FurnitureHard Goods make lovely concrete and steel chairs. They don't reveal the concrete mix that enables them to be so thin, but Design Milk mentions it is an "engineered concrete". This is usually code for adding pozzolans and fibres and balancing everything perfectly. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://hard-goods.com/store/muskoka-chair/" target="_blank">No. 002 Modern Muskoka Chair</a></span> </td></tr>
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<br />The owner of Hard Goods, Brandon Gore, has a great statement about cost and quality on his own website <a href="http://hard-goods.com/">http://hard-goods.com</a>.<br /><br />“As with all things in life, you get what you pay for. My price is a direct reflection of the quality of work I produce. If budget is your deciding factor, then I am absolutely not the right person for you. I am not the WalMart of craftsmanship. However, if you value expertise, distinction, and knowing that you bought the best, then I’m the craftsman you’ve been looking for.” I couldn't agree more.<br />
<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Thanks to designmilk.com for their article <a href="http://design-milk.com/outdoor-concrete-seating-by-hard-goods/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">here</a>.</span>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-77757500523467411172012-08-17T08:00:00.000-07:002012-08-17T08:00:32.353-07:00Jo Woffinden Concrete SculpturesJo Woffinden is a London-based artist who works in concrete, but has a background in ceramics. Her recent forms are based on curves and planes:<br />
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"My current work synthesizes elements taken from contemporary architecture with the underlying currents, which unfold Baroque structures. I have used the curve to create a spatial flow between planes and lines, which disrupt and work with simple geometry. Through subtle tensions, I intend to create a relationship between surfaces and forms, which can alter our perception of space."<br />
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<a href="http://www.jowoffinden.com/jwc/baroque_I.V_files/2012-06-10-Joanne_Woffinden_MG_6570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.jowoffinden.com/jwc/baroque_I.V_files/2012-06-10-Joanne_Woffinden_MG_6570.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Describing her concrete work she says:<br />
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"Using concrete I have developed tactile surfaces, which appeal to the senses. I intend to show concrete as soft, warm and inviting and for the material to act as mediator between interior and exterior. I would like to invite the viewer to engage with space and materiality in new ways through their encounter with my sculptural objects.<br />
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You can see more of Woffinden's work on her web site:<br />
<a href="http://www.jowoffinden.com/jwc/home.html">http://www.jowoffinden.com/jwc/home.html</a><br />
Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-3152920098776354072012-07-25T09:35:00.003-07:002012-07-25T09:35:49.049-07:00Concrete WatchesDzmitry Samal, a French designer, has produced a line of <a href="http://www.dzmitrysamal.com/en/collection2.html">concrete watches</a> for men. They are a limited edition series of 100 and cost about 1000 Euros.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Images of buildings, or architects' plans appear to be below the crystal. Why concrete? Samal says on his web site:<br />
"I chose concrete, a noble, modern, honest and robust material, the stuff our megapolis are made of. <br />
My watches tell the story of an alliance of French creativity and
Swiss technical performance, innovating in a field that has never been
explored in watchmaking before."<br />
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<a href="http://www.dzmitrysamal.com/en/collection2.html">http://www.dzmitrysamal.com/en/collection2.html </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">via <a href="http://mocoloco.com/">http://mocoloco.com</a> </span>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-4893061418485769112012-07-20T14:05:00.001-07:002012-07-20T14:05:32.275-07:00Fabrice Le NezetArtist Fabrice Le Nezet has produced a series of pieces using concrete and steel, called <i>Measure</i>. I might have called the exhibition "Weight" or "Mass", because that's how they speak to me. The concrete cubes or blocks (some of which weigh 1000 kilograms) are suspended in steel frames so that you can almost feel their weight and the tension they put on the steel bars.<br />
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<a href="http://payload57.cargocollective.com/1/5/184602/3443713/weight_600.1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://payload57.cargocollective.com/1/5/184602/3443713/weight_600.1.png" width="250" /></a></div>
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The forms are massive and simple, simple in the best possible sense. Nothing stands in the way of the idea. The execution of the pieces is almost industrial or architectural.<br />
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For more images, see the website:<br />
<a href="http://cargocollective.com/fabricelenezet/Measure">http://cargocollective.com/fabricelenezet/Measure</a><br />
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Le Nezet is a film director, artist and designer based in London.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Via Owen Goss, and Design-Milk.com</i></span>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-74809388130796814102011-09-26T17:47:00.000-07:002011-09-26T17:47:16.416-07:00Concrete and Fashion<a href="http://www.wrk-shp.com/">Airi Isoda</a> likes to pull architectural influences into her fashion designs. Using materials commonly found in the construction industry, such as Tyvek and industrial-grade felt, she designs minimalist clothing. And yes, there is concrete in her work, such as this necklace of beads. Isoda has a degree in architecture and works in both Los Angeles and Tokyo.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cotton silk shirting / silk charmeuse / concrete</span></div>
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But more surprising is her use of fabric dipped in concrete. To give the fabric flexibility, the concrete surface is intentionally broken. I have seen fabric dipped in concrete before, for sculptural purposes – but not for clothes that could actually be worn. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">felted wool / silk charmeuse lining / cotton / concrete</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">concrete dip shift dress + polka dot romper</span></div>
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Isoda is part of <a href="http://www.wrk-shp.com/">wrk-shp</a>, a multi-disciplinary design collective working in the fields of architecture and fashion.<br />
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This work shows off one of concrete's greatest strengths: its ability to remain neutral, to be simply a functional material. It is down-to-earth, and without pretension. And yet it can be used as a metaphor for "material" and encourage the viewer to think about what material means.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-2985391375107403582011-09-14T11:12:00.000-07:002011-09-14T11:12:20.057-07:00Concrete BeadsOften, tools and materials determine a design. I stumbled across this silicone pad in our local hardware store -- a hot plate for pots in the kitchen. It was pale blue and very flexible, divided into open squares of about 5 mm, each hole about 2 mm deep. Silicone is a great mold-making material for concrete, so I bought it not knowing at the time what I would do with it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLgg9IyYlUQhS7R6J7Vm7cbdjPDBd31Q9OGFq-46EoqxGZhU7tF-kKpVLXA1pHmNYjsXDzX062mv-92dbWmhEcF0jxK-Lc09bo8VfLUEKHmmfVz31uUt1NkcIqpSdTNEf-w2R2lHn8nam/s1600/concBeadsSquare2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLgg9IyYlUQhS7R6J7Vm7cbdjPDBd31Q9OGFq-46EoqxGZhU7tF-kKpVLXA1pHmNYjsXDzX062mv-92dbWmhEcF0jxK-Lc09bo8VfLUEKHmmfVz31uUt1NkcIqpSdTNEf-w2R2lHn8nam/s320/concBeadsSquare2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">5 mm squares after they are released from the silicone mold</span></div>
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First, I was thinking the texture would look great pressed into the surface of a larger concrete sculpture, but then I thought of beads, lots of beads. I sprayed the surface of the pad with a release agent, then mixed up a fairly fine mix of Portland cement and stone dust (1:1), with 10% metakaolin, a bit of black dye and some PVA fibers. This was spread over the surface of the mold, then packed with a small rod into the square spaces, smoothed off, and covered in plastic sheet for a few days. When I pulled the concrete out of the mold, the fibers held most of the squares together, so I used a utility knife to slice them apart. The squares were then immersed in water for about a week.<br />
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After the week was up and the concrete was probably 90% cured, I drilled each bead with a .9 mm (.035") metal drill. I drilled from both sides to try and keep the hole centered. The next step was to wet-sand all the surfaces by hand, using a 400 grit sandpaper. This gave a smooth surface to the beads and also got rid of all the surface fibers. To round off the edges (rather than hand sanding such tiny shapes) I tumbled them with steel shot for an hour. When they came out of the tumbler, this is what they looked like among the steel shot:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxowWHs6edyjy_O_ACmZEPA3COR8x-4gswYie8LmiD9TDBwupKSfYjZ_soDqvo9dSeHmW3-Y2k2t5PI5TsQmqDHSy0DVR8c3SLv35DSGwS1aa0Xtp7fgCjnXqD5ToE045LUQ14ANwW5Mzs/s1600/concBeadsSquare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxowWHs6edyjy_O_ACmZEPA3COR8x-4gswYie8LmiD9TDBwupKSfYjZ_soDqvo9dSeHmW3-Y2k2t5PI5TsQmqDHSy0DVR8c3SLv35DSGwS1aa0Xtp7fgCjnXqD5ToE045LUQ14ANwW5Mzs/s320/concBeadsSquare.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tiny square concrete beads in steel shot</span></div>
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The plan is to use these concrete beads in some minimal jewellery designs, such as the partly completed earrings below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpl_WN5vcq20vwCVEmrvvgjcVBt-OOW5nCUBMiWHdJjCT3T7kad3xpHqAMKfpQW1Gf77anPHYq7Pof0iyuDbu1wD1IVPnhf4ZqZm7593IEi9RMbvxtyTTwA2SLL2aJcJPhLysdK4kQkvU-/s1600/concBeadsEarrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpl_WN5vcq20vwCVEmrvvgjcVBt-OOW5nCUBMiWHdJjCT3T7kad3xpHqAMKfpQW1Gf77anPHYq7Pof0iyuDbu1wD1IVPnhf4ZqZm7593IEi9RMbvxtyTTwA2SLL2aJcJPhLysdK4kQkvU-/s200/concBeadsEarrings.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Draft earring design, sterling, titanium, concrete </span></div>
<br />Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-35674062052573575862011-05-01T12:00:00.000-07:002011-07-24T20:13:28.232-07:00Isaac Cordal's little concrete peopleIsaac Cordal makes little people out of concrete and them places them in thought-provoking situations in various cities and countries in Europe. You can find them in the street, sitting on rooftops, precariously balanced on a pipe, standing up to their waists in water with a life preserver, or standing in the snow. The figures are made in clay, then a silicone mold is made in which the concrete is cast. Some of the figures are painted some left grey.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.isaac.alg-a.org/IMG/jpg/resized_nieve.jpg" width="320" /></div><br />
<a href="http://www.isaac.alg-a.org/"><br />
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Some of Cordal's work is mechanized, but I particularly like the small quiet figures.<br />
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<a href="http://streetartlondon.co.uk/blog/street-artist-interview-isaac-cordal/">Street Art London</a> also has an excellent interview with Cordal along with other photographs of his work. A new book has also just been published about Cordal's work called Cement Eclipses, available from <a href="http://www.carpetbombingculture.co.uk/index.php?action=what&subaction=cementIII">Carpet Bombing Culture</a>.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-58894282443127670242011-01-26T12:57:00.000-08:002011-01-26T12:57:05.315-08:00Pillar of Shame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/HKU_Pillar_of_Shame_in_Orange_Color_02a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/HKU_Pillar_of_Shame_in_Orange_Color_02a.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Wikemedia Commons</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This concrete statue, the Pillar of Shame, is in Hong Kong, and commemorates the 50 people who died in Tienanmen Square in Beijing in the government crackdown of 1989. The inscription reads "The old cannot kill the young forever." In 2008 it was painted orange to raise awareness about human rights in China.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This website has links to a number sites with more information and photographs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.aidoh.dk/?categoryID=62">http://www.aidoh.dk/?categoryID=62</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The sculpture, by Danish artist Jens Galschiot depicts torn and twisted bodies. Galschiot was not allowed in to Hong Kong when it was painted orange but approved of the transformation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H__J0s-Ta8Q/SBhHAwxq-LI/AAAAAAAAEP4/RovwjYW-PdI/s1600/shame1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H__J0s-Ta8Q/SBhHAwxq-LI/AAAAAAAAEP4/RovwjYW-PdI/s400/shame1.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://regnirts.blogspot.com/2008/04/hong-kong-pillar-of-shame.html"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://regnirts.blogspot.com/2008/04/hong-kong-pillar-of-shame.html</span></a></div>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-84513497515918563422010-07-02T12:47:00.000-07:002010-07-02T12:47:58.123-07:00Concrete Sculpture FinishedWell, it took me two weeks to finish off the sculpture that I showed last time on this blog. It took several thin layers of cement on top of what I showed June 14, one of them dyed with a brick-coloured pigment, as you can see from this image. The two parts rest against each other and form a tripod as a base.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMc3mUEEX4vFNxf-3pkDIt-P5FPE_8eOIrDBBblnYGbdjpFfTRPzLk0KS22fHtpjf-tw72BSkFJ-qjIxTMZZjs710NcNCFoCTVxyklSeWi8QPNiT5nCrxB3DrNWbHX6aZQI5yQn5gCwxTE/s1600/Y-form-2010-d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMc3mUEEX4vFNxf-3pkDIt-P5FPE_8eOIrDBBblnYGbdjpFfTRPzLk0KS22fHtpjf-tw72BSkFJ-qjIxTMZZjs710NcNCFoCTVxyklSeWi8QPNiT5nCrxB3DrNWbHX6aZQI5yQn5gCwxTE/s400/Y-form-2010-d.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Leaning</i>, concrete sculpture, 2010</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I toned down the stripes quite a bit from the last images; they seemed to detract too much from the forms. One thing you can't see are six-inch rods coming out of the base of the forms. They are embedded in the grass for additional support. I set the bolts in the concrete by drilling then filling the holes with a concrete epoxy, the kind used in the construction industry for setting lag bolts into foundation walls.<br />
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The sculpture is now in the Artful Garden exhibition at Jon and Suzann Partridge's studio in Muskoka, Ontario.<br />
<a href="http://www.theartfulgarden.ca/">http://www.theartfulgarden.ca/</a>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-77628455571688903822010-06-14T10:39:00.000-07:002010-06-14T10:39:28.708-07:00More on the Concrete Sculpture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjl1ZJoGb9iyc45XEriN-gCQ9EAHBSso9Z10UUEefHiSstqopG35BTjO-GHnlWM0ynka_R_ulHdBwIluSYd9tcMvl6KNKckMGfg6b-ijMER88SI4PLxe4gkBz6pDz8Yg5o5BY3Ao0AU3lD/s1600/Y-form-2010a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjl1ZJoGb9iyc45XEriN-gCQ9EAHBSso9Z10UUEefHiSstqopG35BTjO-GHnlWM0ynka_R_ulHdBwIluSYd9tcMvl6KNKckMGfg6b-ijMER88SI4PLxe4gkBz6pDz8Yg5o5BY3Ao0AU3lD/s320/Y-form-2010a.jpg" /></a></div>I took some photographs of the recent concrete sculpture I have been working on. The structure (armature) is steel rebar with steel mesh wrapped around that. The sculpture is in two parts that will be resting on each other, separate but together, in the final piece.<br />
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My original idea was black and white stripes on the branch-like forms, but I toned down the really strong contrast. The first photo shows the thin black-pigmented cement after being applied. I used masking tape to keep the smooth mixture in the right places. When the cement had cured enough (about 24 hours) I peeled off the tape and wet sanded the piece. Then I scratched grooves in the surface with very coarse sandpaper (16 grit) and an old file, followed by an application of a thin layer of white Portland cement and metakaolin that covered everything. The next photo shows the application of that thin white layer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0VLIO0iZxlBtuojApLepJit34nWhWix66Y1kGmJfZxKU_QKeidlvk8eevjfCD15IDj7RAvBAU4Y1jaaQ-qRhSif8y4_DVZudVPGggJiJmtXWjyo_cavCPJHOIHGomhH3qlLcvT-Q9kYi/s1600/Y-form-2010b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0VLIO0iZxlBtuojApLepJit34nWhWix66Y1kGmJfZxKU_QKeidlvk8eevjfCD15IDj7RAvBAU4Y1jaaQ-qRhSif8y4_DVZudVPGggJiJmtXWjyo_cavCPJHOIHGomhH3qlLcvT-Q9kYi/s320/Y-form-2010b.jpg" /></a></div>You can see the scratches made in the black in the photo. The white smooth mix is rubbed into those grooves so that when most of the white is sanded off, the lines would show as white. After I did this I then did the revese colour process—scratching that surface again, but this time rubbing a thin black layer over everything. After this cures I will wet sand it off with something like a 320 grit paper to reveal (hopefully) a very complex and interesting surface.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDf8NGmUmXclYEKkZXZkqlBjgMGAB65XBHttwHdnkarKR_DnRQhlQmxss3Q1D3hyE86MuTIMUwvQ8qkLNKRkKKrn5VA-4rrMVsw24sE_uZq3CDU1pKuxSY1Za6jyUKbKsESjq0Y7R39fRk/s1600/Y-form-2010c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDf8NGmUmXclYEKkZXZkqlBjgMGAB65XBHttwHdnkarKR_DnRQhlQmxss3Q1D3hyE86MuTIMUwvQ8qkLNKRkKKrn5VA-4rrMVsw24sE_uZq3CDU1pKuxSY1Za6jyUKbKsESjq0Y7R39fRk/s200/Y-form-2010c.jpg" width="68" /></a>In the meantime both pieces of the sculpture are wrapped in plastic to allow them to damp cure.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-39309164064575599572010-06-12T12:04:00.000-07:002010-06-12T12:04:32.425-07:00Sketches for a SculptureI've been working on a concrete sculpture for a couple of weeks now. My ideas started with some very brief sketches with the idea of dependency and relationship. I like the idea of one object leaning on another one so that they are both in a sense holding each other up. I have also been thinking about the number of projects I had been working on all at the same time, and debating internally whether that was a bad thing ("to do anything well you have to do only one thing without distraction") or a good thing ("creativity comes out of chaos").<br />
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The first images in my sketchbook were simple line drawings, and then I tested some of those ideas by bending the forms in copper wire, to see how gravity and geometry would work with those ideas. Then I made two separate armatures out of steel rebar and expanded steel mesh (stucco lath), then made a mixture of cement, sand and polystyrene beads which I pushed into and through the lath. I used this lightweight mixture because the pieces are about six feet long, and I wanted to be able to lift them. Over a period of several days I applied thinner layers of white Portland cement mixed with white sand onto the surface of the growing shapes. That's about where I am now, applying thinner and smoother layers of alternating bands of white cement and black pigmented cement as final finishes.<br />
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This morning I found a scrap of paper on which I had written some notes and done a couple of little sketches. It was about half-way through the design process, so I thought I would scan it and share it. I also seem to have resolved the conflict about working on many things at once. I had written "creativity is something your brain does when you're working on something else", then edited it to "creativity is something your brain does when you're thinking of something else." This must have been influenced by the Zen directive in brush painting: "It is not I that am doing this." Under that I wrote: "That's my excuse for doing so many things at once."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWeDLaLRmWjwnAd8YlRq-INeDEWem20T99VSR4nGIPOH30EHucTCQu5b8d4wzosrTQ-C2Lk10ykEk4CgOr2NI3fCFGVD0koz42zDW6g6W1S1_Iznu6OuzgVlPlo1-y9MVudk19zeAS_HJ/s1600/sketch-y-forms" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWeDLaLRmWjwnAd8YlRq-INeDEWem20T99VSR4nGIPOH30EHucTCQu5b8d4wzosrTQ-C2Lk10ykEk4CgOr2NI3fCFGVD0koz42zDW6g6W1S1_Iznu6OuzgVlPlo1-y9MVudk19zeAS_HJ/s320/sketch-y-forms" /></a></div>I'll post some pictures soon of the sculpture as it develops. At the same time I am continuing to make and market jewellery, and I am also trying to tie up a project I started a few months ago which is neither concrete-related or jewellery-related.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-31275563420534578362010-06-05T11:28:00.000-07:002010-06-05T11:28:00.460-07:00Concrete Statue at Denver AirportA seven ton 26 foot concrete statue of Anubis, Egyptian god of death and the afterlife, is being installed at Denver International Airport. The statue will be there for the duration of a King Tut show, June 9, 2010 to January 9, 2011. (The King Tut show closed at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto in May. The statue appears to be the same one used outside the AGO.) According to 9news.com, the jackal-headed statue will weigh in at 9000 pounds, and is being assembled in sections.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2085909034"><br />
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<a href="http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=140192&catid=339">http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=140192&catid=339</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkd1-admlddrKifMuXYXC552LZX5WEf_xbr6J8pRVI9_LVvLTms_GGwYHdac-vD4r-YaMQ-1_1_nNq6597PbertN-Dcj7AYTDDcBiJhnX_BO1mkHBQcvDB26NWGuLb4Rpn-Vu4z-YQFJs7/s1600/anubis.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkd1-admlddrKifMuXYXC552LZX5WEf_xbr6J8pRVI9_LVvLTms_GGwYHdac-vD4r-YaMQ-1_1_nNq6597PbertN-Dcj7AYTDDcBiJhnX_BO1mkHBQcvDB26NWGuLb4Rpn-Vu4z-YQFJs7/s320/anubis.gif" width="320" /></a></div>The statue appears be controversial on a couple of levels. A statue of the god of death in an airport might make some superstitious passengers nervous, and the American end-of-days movement is concerned about the growing number of "pagan statues" being erected.<br />
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I for one don't mind the idea of a god of death (pagan or otherwise) overlooking an airport. I confront my own mortality every time I fly, so why shouldn't everyone else be reminded of theirs? The <a href="http://signsofthelastdays.com/archives/a-seven-ton-26-foot-tall-concrete-sculpture-of-an-egyptian-god-installed-at-denver-international-airport">end of days argument</a> is that we are putting up idols against the wishes of a jealous god. "After all of God's warnings we just have got to tempt fate," they say. Surely we all recognize that this is a Egyptian god from a long-dead religion. Or do these people believe that art is even more powerful than I imagined.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-39584823919536309982010-05-11T19:54:00.000-07:002010-05-11T19:54:17.271-07:00Concrete Survey, Part 2These are the last half of the results of the <i>concrete as an art material</i> survey I did last week.<br />
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In question 4, we asked about <span style="color: red;">concrete's main strengths</span>. Low cost was the most popular choice, with appearance and durability coming in close behind. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">Concrete's main weakness</span> was seen as its weight — and by a wide margin. I had put "weight" as a choice in the survey in both both strengths and weaknesses questions, so it was no surprise that weight was the least popular in the strengths section. The public's perception of concrete as cheap building material put it as the second biggest weakness of concrete. Permeability to moisture and susceptibility to frost were tied for third place as weaknesses.<br />
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There were lots of comments for both these questions.<br />
<ul><li>"It is what it is," wrote one person.</li>
<li>Someone else asked: "By 'shock value' I assume you mean you can make it look like another medium?! Yes, I love it when I hear observers look questioningly as if to ask: what IS this material..." No, actually I meant shock value in that we think of it often as a building material but it can still be beautiful in its own right. I don't actually want my concrete to look like something else. I might paint it bright red, but you would still know it was painted concrete. "It is what it is." In the "strengths" question, I should have put a choice that said: "Quiet presence."</li>
<li>Someone else commented: "People are strange in their perceptions of value, they can be put off by the use of concrete through thinking of it as "cheap" instead of recognising the skill it takes to transform a pile of sand and minerals into a work of art." </li>
<li>"Any weaknesses are a reflection of the artist, not the material."</li>
</ul><span style="color: red;">Which sculptural medium appears to be the most valuable to you?</span> That was the last question in the survey. Bronze 36%. Concrete and stone, both 26%. Steel and wood, a distant fifth and sixth place. People seemed reluctant to answer this last question, judging by some of the comments:<br />
<ul><li>"The medium is not the source of the value. Rather the value comes from the artist's vision and skill expressed through content."</li>
<li>"Each has it's own life and are equally valuable."</li>
<li>"I don't value one over the other, they all have strengths and weaknesses."</li>
<li>"Purely because of the cost of using it as a medium."</li>
<li>"Hard question...any medium that the artist has pushed to the limit. I like to be surprised by what was done with any medium where the envelope has been pushed."</li>
</ul>Thanks to everyone who participated in this survey.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-29252870171100712582010-05-06T14:33:00.000-07:002010-05-06T14:33:46.093-07:00Concrete Survey, Part 1It's time for a report back on the ArtConcrete non-scientific survey, now that responses have slowed. This is how it breaks down for the first three questions.<br />
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83% of the respondents have actually made something artistic out of concrete (question 3), so this is obviously not a general-public sort of survey, but more a survey from those who know the material. People reported they made mostly sculptures, along with lots of other functional objects like bowls, birdbaths and even furniture and jewelry.<br />
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Speaking of jewelry (question 2), 66% said they thought concrete was an appropriate material for making jewelry. 6% said "no", and 29% said "maybe." Maybe? Surely this is a black and white issue. There were lots of interesting comments here:<br />
<ul><li>"Wonder a bit about the long term wearability of concrete jewelry and how it holds up to skin oils, perfume, etc."</li>
<li>"Stretch the boundaries, why not."</li>
<li>"I am a jewelery maker who works in metals but cannot wait to try concrete... just a little scared about dropping it."</li>
<li>"I would have to see, touch, experience the piece, to decide fully whether it was what I would consider wearable art."</li>
<li>"Art is alchemy."</li>
<li>"If comfortable and more refined than a lot of outdoor sculpture." </li>
<li>"In small scale other materials may work better. However, depends on the artist and what effect you're looking for."</li>
<li>"I've made some cast concrete (really heavy) large scale 'martyr' necklaces (completely unwearable, but funny)..."</li>
</ul><br />
Overall (question 1), 97% agreed concrete was an appropriate material for art, with only 3% saying maybe. Nobody said "not appropriate." About a third of the respondents added comments to this question, and some of them were really good:<br />
<ul><li>"Any material - or non-material - is appropriate for art."</li>
<li>"Just look at how gorgeous Rachel Whiteread's sculptures are. The surface and the way it ages are beautiful." (Whiteread is the British sculptor who filled the inside of a house - about to be demolished - with concrete, then took the building away, exposing the volume of the spaces inside.)</li>
<li>"Beats pickled shark." Where did that come from?</li>
<li>"Have been experimenting with papercrete (recycled/shredded paper, concrete and bit of clay) working through head issues such as, is this a legitimate art material. Like the lighter weight, green reuse/recycle aspects."</li>
<li>"I love the fast results from Wet Concrete carving. I have also worked with armature and hve enjoyed that also."</li>
<li>"As a casting, laying-up, and carving material, it has superior qualities."</li>
<li>"I consider concrete appropriate material for art works as long as it's durable. Sometimes, I'm astounded by the beauty of concrete used in everyday, construction purposes. The other day... I came upon some very old concrete footings in the woods, probably to hold up a bridge... I guess I consider "appropriate" a bit of an understatement! It can be most desirous, in my mind."</li>
<li>"Emphatically yes. Ideal for the artist that has plenty of inspiration and little cash."</li>
<li>"Strong, cheap and convenient. Downsides are weight, lack of detail."</li>
<li>"Absolutely the most versatile medium going!"</li>
</ul>I couldn't agree more. Those are the responses to the first three questions in the survey. I'll summarize the final three in the next blog post.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-77718637526685528732010-05-04T07:51:00.000-07:002010-05-04T07:52:01.875-07:00Art Concrete SurveyI have posted a survey about concrete as an art medium on Survey Monkey. It's nothing very scientific, but the results should be interesting. There are only six multiple choice questions, and room for comments if you want to leave them. I'll post the results back on this blog (and in Google Group's Art Concrete email discussion list) after a week or so.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span currsection="upLCNIFVkAaIefKzG08Uww==" qpos="1">1. </span>Do you consider concrete an appropriate material for art works?</span></i><br />
<div class="qOption hover"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><input class="rb" id="input_193496305_10_2405719147_0" name="input_193496305_10_0_0" type="radio" value="2405719147_0" /><label class="rb_off" for="input_193496305_10_2405719147_0" id="linput_193496305_10_2405719147_0"><img alt="" src="https://www.surveymonkey.com/i/t.gif" /><span class="qLabel">No</span></label></span></i></div><div class="qOption hover"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><input class="rb" id="input_193496305_10_2405719148_0" name="input_193496305_10_0_0" type="radio" value="2405719148_0" /><label class="rb_off" for="input_193496305_10_2405719148_0" id="linput_193496305_10_2405719148_0"><img alt="" src="https://www.surveymonkey.com/i/t.gif" /><span class="qLabel">Maybe</span></label></span></i></div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><input class="rb" id="input_193496305_10_2405719146_0" name="input_193496305_10_0_0" type="radio" value="2405719146_0" /><img alt="" src="https://www.surveymonkey.com/i/t.gif" />Yes</span></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KDMBX28">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KDMBX28</a>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-13128945130812968362010-04-24T09:26:00.000-07:002010-04-24T09:26:24.955-07:00Book Review: Concrete Crafts, Alan Wycheck<i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811735796?ie=UTF8&tag=gossdesign&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0811735796">Concrete Crafts: Making Modern Accessories for the Home and Garden</a></b></i><img alt="" border="0" class=" llxoleqdugfhklbuopom llxoleqdugfhklbuopom llxoleqdugfhklbuopom llxoleqdugfhklbuopom" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gossdesign&l=as2&o=1&a=0811735796" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> is a new book about creating simple concrete objects. The subtitle: <i>Making Modern Accessories for the Home and Garden</i> pretty well summarizes what the book is trying to do. <br />
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513fZW1lBKL._SL110_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513fZW1lBKL._SL110_.jpg" /></a>Briefly, the book covers such items as pavers, tiles, tabletops, stepping stones, planters and bowls, all in a a step-by-step format using clear colour photographs. This is a really useful way to learn; you feel like you have stepped into the author's own backyard and watched him make the pieces. The instructions are simple and straight forward, nothing fancy here. If you haven't made wooden forms with plywood and lumber, the book shows you how. The strength of the book is that if you are a complete beginner in concrete craft it gives you enough information and confidence to start. If you wanted to make some simple production molds for geometrically based production work there is also some good information. And there is good precautionary safety advice about wearing gloves, dust masks and protective glasses when necessary. <br />
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But don't look for much creative inspiration, advanced techniques or mixes here. The shapes and forms that Wycheck uses are in keeping with an introductory book. If you've been making concrete garden accessories or sculptures for some time, there's not much you can learn. (Although I did learn that two-part polyester makes a great wood sealer for forms that you want to use repeatedly, and I was reminded that vegetable oil makes a good non-toxic release agent.) My summary of the book is that it is useful for beginners, not so useful for experienced concrete artists.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811735796?ie=UTF8&tag=gossdesign&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0811735796">Concrete Crafts: Making Modern Accessories for the Home and Garden</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" llxoleqdugfhklbuopom llxoleqdugfhklbuopom" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gossdesign&l=as2&o=1&a=0811735796" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Alan Wycheck</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Stackpole Books, 2010, 155 pp</span>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-84100620134500523912010-04-15T07:13:00.000-07:002010-04-15T07:32:23.641-07:00Concrete Arc Table<a href="http://www.otto-otto.com/2009/09/eye-candy-arc-table-by-foster-partners-for-molteni-c/">http://www.otto-otto.com/2009/09/eye-candy-arc-table-by-foster-partners-for-molteni-c/</a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://img696.yfrog.com/img696/6642/d0ek.jpg"></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This links to a picture of a beautifully simple table shown at the</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2010 in Milan. It's a catenary arc made from concrete. Other than that I don't know much about it, except that it comes from <a href="http://www.fosterandpartners.com/">Foster and Partners</a>, a London-based architecture and design firm. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks to <a href="http://www.dwell.com/">Dwell</a> magazine's Tweet.</span></i>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-56979269273715590212010-04-13T18:04:00.000-07:002010-04-14T05:37:01.608-07:00The "Other" Concrete ArtIf you search for "concrete art" on the web, as I often do, you'll find yourself stumbling across another type of concrete art. I've never been quite sure of what it meant, so I thought I'd investigate it further and come up with a summary.<br />
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This other "concrete art" developed in the 1930s in Europe, and was a form of visual art, in particular a form of abstract art. But in this abstract art nothing stood for or represented anything else. Nothing was symbolic; the shapes and colours of the work were simple lines and rectangles, primary colours. Max Bill, a Swiss artist and designer, was part of this movement.<br />
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The term came from the first and only issue of a magazine called <i>Art Concret</i>. "There was nothing more concrete or more real than a line, a colour, or a plane (a flat area of colour)." [Quote from www.tate.org.uk] The idea was to create new works of art from simple forms and colours, yet having nothing to do with any symbolic or representational meaning. The strength of the work would be in this simplicity which <i>Art Concret</i> said would "represent abstract thoughts in a sensuous and tangible form."<br />
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Concrete art was closely related to <i>constructivism</i>, an earlier movement that tried to reflect the industrial world by constructing art or sculpture through processes similar to what industry might have used. "Constructivism is a purely technical mastery and organisation of materials," said a 1923 manifesto. You can understand how <i>constructivism</i> influenced <i>concrete art</i> in the avoidance of meaning and symbolism.<br />
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This image is Max Bill's sculpture, <i>Endless Ribbon</i>, granite, 1953. You can see it's origins in the concrete art and constructivist movements.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/27/51434518_66f5d854e0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/27/51434518_66f5d854e0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div about="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santinobroadcast/51434518/" style="text-align: center;" xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santinobroadcast/" rel="cc:attributionURL">Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santinobroadcast/</a> / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" rel="license">CC BY-NC 2.0</a></span></div>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-90754007349914902942010-03-01T20:18:00.000-08:002010-03-01T20:18:09.173-08:00Patina on ConcreteI wrote about casting small parts of camera lenses back on June 21, 2009. Now I'm experimenting with applying a chemical patina to some new castings in that series.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylbxAcoi7iLJLCMz7zCAMyFYGKRVuoCSgkK1X2jnfE7WyYqogD-b2eNPbLfAFoJ6fcTFEMHnf_hmy5rT1CqcI6VKeTqYweG9jQbMlM-M7Ynj-KrremgW3nstxIIva6ZXmKvTkLUaXtcMD/s1600-h/lenspins-cu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylbxAcoi7iLJLCMz7zCAMyFYGKRVuoCSgkK1X2jnfE7WyYqogD-b2eNPbLfAFoJ6fcTFEMHnf_hmy5rT1CqcI6VKeTqYweG9jQbMlM-M7Ynj-KrremgW3nstxIIva6ZXmKvTkLUaXtcMD/s320/lenspins-cu.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Concrete Pins: concrete, copper leaf, patina, 2010</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The effect is just what I wanted: to make the camera parts look almost as if they had been buried and dug up. After the castings were cured (about two weeks), I applied copper leaf to the smooth lens areas, and left them so that the gold size was completely dry. Then I painted on a thin wash of copper nitrate solution, exactly what I use for patination of copper and brass jewellery. To "set" the patina, I heated it very gently with a small propane/oxygen flame. Some of the patina is a very pale greenish blue, some is a light brown. The black colour is an earlier application of dyed cement that was rubbed in, rubbed off and allowed to cure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is the potential when doing this for water trapped in the concrete to turn to steam and either crack the concrete or cause a mini-explosion, so I always were face protection, and never heat the concrete beyond what I would call a skin-burning temperature. And always heat the pieces slowly and evenly. When the colour is right, don't quench them in water, but let them air cool, or they might crack. I finished the pins with a flat acrylic sealer to make the patina waterproof.</div>Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1224303629534257884.post-82575990779751160942010-02-25T07:14:00.000-08:002010-02-25T07:14:23.983-08:00Jeans Filled with Concrete<a href="http://www.artnet.com/Images/magazine/reviews/honigman/honigman10-3-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://www.artnet.com/Images/magazine/reviews/honigman/honigman10-3-4.jpg" width="200" /></a>Why not do something interesting with your old jeans?<br />
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In 2006, artist Ron Pruitt was part of an exhibition in New York where he filled old jeans with concrete, arranging the objects in dance-like poses on the floor of the Gavin Brown’s Enterprise Gallery in Greenwich Village. You can see a couple of images on this web page:<br />
<a href="http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/reviews/honigman/honigman10-3-06.asp">http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/reviews/honigman/honigman10-3-06.asp</a><br />
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In this 5 minute video the artist talks about his motivations. Warning ;) video contains some artspeak:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMAyLbqCZZ4&feature=youtube_gdata">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMAyLbqCZZ4&feature=youtube_gdata</a><br />
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Other artists and architects have explored the idea of using flexible material as a mold. After the concrete sets, the mold is removed. In Pruitt's work, the denim jeans are left in place.Andrew Gosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01288053939056537381noreply@blogger.com0