3 min read 5 Comments
This summer I had the good fortune to visit my niece in New York City. Along with my mom and sisters, we got to see her awash in the fun exciting energy of the city, following her journalism dreams as she interned at NBC Nightly news.
Normally when I visit the big apple I stick to galleries and general nyc mayhem, but this time around we hit some iconic staples- Rockefeller, 9/11 memorial, Ellis Island, and of course the Statue of Liberty.
Part of the reason Lady Liberty was such a highlight for me (in addition to having a great reminder of America as a welcoming country) is because the process used to make her - repousse hammer forming - is one I frequently use in my sculptural work. Repousse is the art of hammering metal from the inside (or back) to create a form. It is often paired with chasing, which is hammering from the outside (or front) of the form.
I thought I'd share some images from the museum for those who are curious how she's made...
Here’s a time lapse video showing one of the copper forming processes on a much smaller scale in my studio. Here I’m working on one of my vessel sculptures.
There you have it! Pretty amazing for those of us who geek out on metalsmithing.
For those of you who want first hand experience with this process, I teach the process in a variety of ways, like bowl making and the masks below.
Be sure to subscribe to receive my emails to be the first in the know when I'm offering a class.
March 07, 2021
agreed Johnathan! Those dudes must have had some burly arms. If you find yourself in NYC you should definitely check it out. Be sure to sign up in advance so you can go in the pedestal (where the museum and these replicas are located). If you’re feeling ambitious and schedule early, climb up to the crown. I believe they’ll be opening a new museum next the statue sometime in the near future so this info could change..
March 07, 2021
Really very impressive, thank you for this beautiful trip in the way that the statue was made. I wonder how the pieces are put together so that there are no joints that appear on the outside. Is it welded with copper solder and ground? If you know the answer I would be curious know, thank you.
March 07, 2021
And, equally impressive is imagining the size of the sheets of copper to construct the face and other sections of the piece.
March 07, 2021
IMPRESSIVE. Last time I was there we were not allowed to go inside. Guess I’ll have to go back.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
1 min read 1 Comment
5 min read
4 min read
20 music box sculpture designs telling the stories that make a house a home. Originally displayed in a larger art installation titled Constructing Deconstruction, each individual box is only available in an edition of 10.
Catherine Grisez
March 07, 2021
Daniel – the statue is an amazing feat of workmanship! If you look closely at the details of the toe and nose (from the prototypes), you can see rivets and solder joints. They are visible from the outside but due to the scale and built up patina, they aren’t highly noticeable.