Max Davis: Sheet, Bar & Block
@ Chicago Athletic Association
12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603
On view through Monday, September 30th
The works on display cover 16 months of experimentation; playing and defining a format of sculpture with lasercut sheet / stock bar mild steel mounted on hardwood blocks using various kinds of exotic woods. The artist’s wish for the pieces on view is to inspire appreciation for the journey that each material took on its way to the CAA.
FROM THE ARTIST
Speaking to process, each piece starts with a drawing. Of the pieces using laser cut sheet, several came from patchworks of midjourney exports & several from scanned, then digitally traced, physical drawings.
A combination of cold hand bending and anvil work is used to achieve each shape. Mild steel at 1.9mm thickness is strong enough to hold its shape and malleable enough to be bent manually in most areas. Of the bar pieces, each is bent into shape with a horizontal hydraulic press.
Mill scale is ground off before shaping with gloved hands and tools. After each piece takes shape, steel rod(s) are welded on to mount it onto a wooden block after the final orientation is chosen.
The design of the blocks themselves is highly inspired by cake with the format’s common play with thick layers and contrasting colors. Purple heart, padouk, walnut, wenge, aromatic cedar and maple cover the primary palette of tones.
Once sculpture and block have been matched, several coats of spray on lacquer are applied to prevent oxidation.
Each piece is its own set of problems to solve and lessons to learn, taking the next one on a unique path.
Location
Milk Room Display Cases on the 2nd Floor
12 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA
Official Website
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Tags: Bar & Block, Chicago, Chicago Athletic Association, Loop, Max Davis, Max Davis: Sheet
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