Client

Overview

Shiny Lily Swoosh is a segmented wall relief in gleaming yellow metal forming a large arabesque s-curve. Graphically composed of hundreds of cutout shapes, the unified silhouette is formed through a jumbled mixture of calla lily formations. Culled from Natrop’s previous hand-cut paper artworks, these various organic-looking flower formations are conglomerated into a unified whole. The overall cutout silhouette is achieved by acid-etching brass sheet. The acid on metal becomes the cutting vehicle like a knife is used to cut paper. This process allows the acid to fully dissolve the thousands of unwanted negative spaces delineating its myriad inter-locking forms. The finished piece hovers one half inch from the wall surface. Shiny Lily Swoosh glorifies the fetishized object, the obsession with process and form.

Goals

This wall sculpture was created as part of a broader installation within a solo exhibition at the University of Maine. This work as since served as the basis of subsequent wall relief works in polished brass.

Process

This wall sculpture was completely self-generated for my solo exhibition at the University of Maine. Other than composing its overall outline structure on the computer, its production relied on analog processes instead of typical laser-cutting CNC operations. The intricate sculpture was formed from its brass metal substrate via photo chemical etching which essentially melts out the unwanted negative shapes by soaking within an acid etching bath.

Additional Information

97 x 68 x ½ inches - 3 pieces of polished brass