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PART
TWO · GETTING STARTED WITH WIRE
I
learned the process of innovation in 1968, from the late Kenneth G.
Curran. Using Mr. Curran's method, I invented my own innovative
approach to wire sculpture and achieved museum quality standards. Ken
Curran was wry, sardonic, thoughtful and minimalist. He was an astute
mentor. He gave enough information to get me experimenting, but
insisted that I learn how to
learn , developing a lifelong
habit of creative problem solving.
The two major elements to be aware of in wire sculpture are design and
structure. Design is the form and impact of the wire sculpture; what
it looks like . Structure is the
degree to which it holds together.
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This
is all you need to make a wire sculpture, wire and some cutters.
Wire is a mobile inkline. Instead of drawing with a pen, you draw with
the wire itself. There are no rules whatsoever, no right
way to create with wire. Think of all the different ways artists have
expressed themselves with a paintbrush. Then think again...
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Design
In Wire Sculpture
Since
wire sculpture is such an unpopulated medium, there's infinite room to
make your mark by coming up with a distinctively different approach.
Don't jump on the bandwagon by imitating the works of Alexander Calder.
This great innovator, who introduced contemporary wire sculpture to the
world, stands alone. You should too. Don't be a Calder
Clone . Honor wire sculpture, and
honor the spirit of Alexander Calder, by working as independently as
possible. It's easier than you think, and truly rewarding.
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even "pipe cleaners" are fair game for making wire sculpture.
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Adopt
a zen approach to starting out with wire. Enjoy it for its own sake, be
receptive to the different effects possible. Don't worry about style.
If you get hooked and really work at it over time, the very personal
ways you've developed to make the wire work will manifest as something
intangible, special and unique to yourself. Style will emerge as a
by-product of technique.
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Structure
In Wire Sculpture
Wire sculpture can be made from a single continuous strand, many
strands, or even wire mesh (remember, there are no rules or
restrictions). If you just loop a wire around freeform, it may hold its
shape... for a while. The weaker its structure, the more protection it
will need to keep from getting distorted.
Don't fret about structure - enjoy the concept that there are endless
ways to invent that can be yours alone. It's a wonderful long-term
puzzle, a true problem-solving dialog. Focus on getting acquainted with
the wire. Doodle, make shapes, unravel them, reform them until you've
got something you like. So it's a little floppy? If you like it, that
doesn't matter. Hang it from a bit of monofilament, or keep in safe in
a glass case.
There are so many ways to incorporate structure into wire. Many wire
sculptors weld and solder to lock joints in place. On a smaller scale,
there's also glue or epoxy. Again, no rules, no limits! When you're
just starting out, though, work the wire with just your hands.
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Three
Wire Exercise
Start
with three pieces of soft wire in 12-inch lengths and a pair of wire
cutters. If you have an assortment of wire, start with the type that
looks most attractive to you. If you brought along extra pliers, jigs,
or other items, set them aside. You don't need them. Your most
versatile wire sculpture tools are always with you, at the ends of your
arms. You want to get as direct a feel for the wire as possible, with
as few distracting gimmicks as possible.
Safety glasses are a good idea, but they're not 100% effective. Wire
can still get through the ventilation holes. So be sure to cut your
wires small.
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For
your first few sessions with wire, focus on seeing how many different
things you can do with just three wires. Doodle around, make little
cartoon figures. Or, if there's something you enjoy looking at, a
flower or a bug, look at it very closely and see if you can make
something like it out of the wire.
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 "Paddle
Wire"
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As
you mess with the wire, your hands will make decisions for you. Let
them! Your fingers may connect the wire as they loop, snag, twist,
braid or kink the wires to hold them in place as you work on your "wire
drawing" . As you train yourself to draw with wire instead of ink, your
hands will invent new ways to handle wire.
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The
One Wire Sculpture Rule Written in Stone: DON'T PUT YOUR EYE OUT!
Your
first wire sculpture projects may be really flimsy, and you may think
they look clumsier than you want. You probably felt that way the first
time you tried to draw with a pencil or crayon, too. Don't you wish
you'd saved those early efforts, so you could see how far you've come?
Well, you're going to set aside your early works so you have a little
"research trail" of your evolution as a wire sculptor.
This is my first wire sculpture. I made it in high school, back in
1968. Can you tell it's a cat? The head's that jumble at the bottom of
the image. And I only gave it three toes!
Lucky my parents saved it for me, I would've thrown it out!
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If
you have an assortment of different kinds of wire, try the three wire
exercise with different types. Copper, including plastic coated
telephone wire, is soft and pliable. This may make it easier to shape.
It may also make it a little harder to hold together as a structure..
Pay attention to how different wires feel in your hands. Is there a
texture, smooth or rough, that you really enjoy? For instance, steel
will have a different feel than copper. Try thin wires, also thicker
wires. Which feel better to hold and to shape?
Follow your instinct, and spend more time with the wire you really
like. Don't throw out the wire you like less, though. Store it for the
future. Instead of thinking, That
wire doesn't work well for me ,
think, that wire doesn't work
well for me... yet! Once you've
achieved mastery of your "personal wire", you'll discover that other
kinds of wire are much easier to work with.
Any time you're just not satisfied with what you make, it's okay to
take it apart and start over. With practice, it'll come faster and
smoother, your creations will get more like you intended. But you'll be
surprised how much character even your startup squiggles have! Hang on
to them, use them as minor ornaments around the house. Give some to
people you think might enjoy them.
There's no rule that says you can only make wire sculpture at a certain
time, in a certain setting. You can mess with wire while you're sitting
at a table, or in an easy chair, or standing up. I don't leave home
without a bit of wire and a pair of cutters. That way I'm never bored
if the flight I'm waiting for is late, or the line at the post office
is twenty people long.
If you get totally immersed in wire sculpture, stay careful. otherwise,
in your excitement to create, you may get careless and risk poking your
eye. When I started out, my hands were always raw, scratched up and
blistered. Eventually I developed callouses, like a guitarist, and I
gradually learned to "dodge" the wires. If you work wire a lot, you
also have to be aware of carpal tunnel inflammation. And you don't ever
want the instant-wakeup of wire under a fingernail... just stay
careful, stay alert.
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The
One Wire Sculpture Rule Written in Stone: DON'T PUT YOUR EYE OUT!
End
of Part Two. Get out there and
mess with wire! Explore, innovate, make mistakes and learn from them!
In Part Three, I'll talk more about applying Curran's approach to
design, structure, and creative problem solving.
If you have any questions or comments about this workshop, I'd love to
hear them. It'll help me create upcoming workshop sections tailored to
prticipants' interests. Just email
me... To see other readers' questions, check out Infrequently
Asked Questions
(c) 2004 Elizabeth Berrien. You have permission to reproduce and share
this page this article in its entirety, IF each reproduction includes
credit to Elizabeth Berrien and reference to the www.wirelady.com
web site. If you publish this article, we would love to know the
location.
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World
Class Wire Sculpture · Elizabeth Berrien
Content
and images copyright © 1968-2006 Elizabeth Berrien. All rights
reserved.
Updated Jan 5, 2005 · this page valid HTML 4.01
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