Some of My Sculpture

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

By way of a belated introduction I thought I'd show some of my work.

I originally studied engineering, started drifting into more arty stuff and eventually decided to take the plunge properly and go to art school in Birmingham and graduated in 2008. Since then I've been plugging away at trying to set up my own sculpture practice, juggling with the day job which is split between fabrication and a mixed bag of general engineering stuff.

I've also got a bit of experience with iron casting and forging which I do when I can get access to the kit.

I'm starting fabrication on my biggest project yet in a couple of weeks so finger crossed...

This is one of my first completed post-graduation pieces, basically an ornamental play on a fairly simply equatorial sundial.

The next one was done a little over a year ago and was my first serious bit of TIG welding. It's a 1m x 2m steel of 3mm mild steel cut up and welded back together again with a few bits left over

There are more pictures on my website www.ChrisJohnsSculpture.co.uk

 

[strube1369]

Nice work, man. Have to imagine you will be successful in your business/art venture.

 

[oddbob]

Particularly like your mixed media stuf (on your website) ...if your not already a fan, you should look at Cathy De Monchaux's work

 

[Seano]

Love ornament #1 and ornament and armament if you don't mind me saying Cris, very Geiger'ish in its look, ornament #1 that is.

Sean

 

[chunkolini]

Loads of good stuff there, spent too long looking at it, will have to go back for more.
chunko'.

 

[pondman]

Awesome work!! An amazing mixture textures and materials!!

 

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

Thanks very much for the comments

oddbob : well spotted, I am definitely a big fan of Cathy de Monchaux.

I'm particularly keen on the whole idea of making handmade and craft type processes work together with more industrial and high-tech techniques and materials. I've had a run of outdoor work over the last few years so the less durable materials like textiles and wax have taken a bit of a back seat temporarily but I'm sure I'll get back to them in due course. I'm certainly keen to do a bit more experimentation with layered composites at some point.

I've certainly been focusing a lot more on texture recently. I've got something quite big on at the moment where it will feature quite prominently. One thing I've always been keen on is having a basic honesty in how stuff is made so the materials and processes used come across in the finished work. I see this as aiming for something which is based on good engineering without being over-finished just for the sake of it. If something is bolted together then why hide the bolts ?

I tend to take the view that if something is well designed and made it shouldn't need too much tarting up.

 

[chunkolini]

I agree with the last few points, a piece of art should be proud of what it is.
I had a lot of flack of blacksmiths over the years accusing me of 'just being fabricator'.
I have never denied fabricating my work.
Nuts and bolts? not so sure on that one.
I think a piece of sculpture bolted together is fine; it is when people just stick bolts all over the place and they look like careless additions it does bug me.
It usually occurs when sculpture is installed. There are few round here, decent pieces of work, nicely made and the bolted onto a piece of RSJ without a thought.
Tarting things up? should not be neccessary.
People often ask me why I rarely grind my welds out.
I hate grinding is an easy answer but I also think that the work is made of welds and they are a part of it and blah blah blah.
got myself going there.

 

[chunkolini]

I have just put up a post in the suggestions section of the forum about maybe having an arts area where we can discuss the bizarre world of creative metal work in it's own space. http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=379596#post379596 see link to avoid repeating myself.
eg have a big spat about the benefits or otherwise of hiding welds, nuts and bolts or cut/ground surfaces. Rusty versus Galv/painted etc etc.
These are all issues that I think about and have discussed via PM with people on here.

 

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

I agree with the last few points, a piece of art should be proud of what it is.
I had a lot of flack of blacksmiths over the years accusing me of 'just being fabricator'.
I have never denied fabricating my work.
Nuts and bolts? not so sure on that one.
I think a piece of sculpture bolted together is fine; it is when people just stick bolts all over the place and they look like careless additions it does bug me.
It usually occurs when sculpture is installed. There are few round here, decent pieces of work, nicely made and the bolted onto a piece of RSJ without a thought.
Tarting things up? should not be neccessary.
People often ask me why I rarely grind my welds out.
I hate grinding is an easy answer but I also think that the work is made of welds and they are a part of it and blah blah blah.
got myself going there.

Definitely...

On the subject of bolts I know exactly what you mean about bolted installations often looking like a last minute bodge. I think that part of the problem is that artists design something which looks great on paper without having the first idea of how it's actually going to get made.

 

[Rrunnach]

Definitely...

On the subject of bolts I know exactly what you mean about bolted installations often looking like a last minute bodge. I think that part of the problem is that artists design something which looks great on paper without having the first idea of how it's actually going to get made.

Couple of my past students worked on this monster, know what you mean about bolt bodge, should have been welded and barged over in one complete piece!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntgbQSSE0t0&feature=related

 

[chunkolini]

Oh wotsitsis name, made a rusty thing up north.
I like this kind of work, up close looks like a huge mess, from a distance subtle and delicate.
Where do you start? a pile of drinking straws?

 

[Rrunnach]

On one of my visits down to this company, I spoke with a guy who was one of the core team for this job, I also worked with him in a couple of shops years ago, he is a very good hand. He stated "if we did not have CAD, we doubt this job would be doable".

Main elements are the "nodes", they are the anti-tank like metal pieces you can view in clip. Every element builds out/up from each node.

Nice claim to fame, for a company who specialise in electricity pylon manufacture!

 

[chunkolini]

Pylon making? I thought I could see that in there, angles and bolts.
Oh! Mr Rrunnach? I presume.
You were right about Bob ballard.

 

[Rrunnach]

Pylon making? I thought I could see that in there, angles and bolts.
Oh! Mr Rrunnach? I presume.
You were right about Bob ballard.

Yep, pylons are HAD-FABS main bread and butter, manu'd and shipped off global. I understand now, how this company won this contract.

Refresh my memory please, re: Bob Ballard...............(my hero)

 

[chunkolini]

Ages back you described him as being your hero. I had assumed he was some popularist pseudoscientist TV type. But no he does stuff and knows about it.
As I said you were right.
I was asking you about submersibles for some reason.
Alvin is one of my heroes.
Chunko'.

 

[Rrunnach]

Ages back you described him as being your hero. I had assumed he was some popularist pseudoscientist TV type. But no he does stuff and knows about it.
As I said you were right.
I was asking you about submersibles for some reason.
Alvin is one of my heroes.
Chunko'.

I remember now, Bob not only shares his science with his fellow academics, he has taken this further by taking his expiditions into the classrooms around the world. His aim is to tell the world, the importance that we (mankind) take better care of our planet, above, and below.

If you click on my username, there is an image there of the new NATO NSRS

http://www.ismerlo.org/assets/NSRS/NSRS Factsheet Issue 4 1 lo-res1 _2_.pdf

Pic taken at Leith Docks, nice piece of multi million £££ kit!!

On a different note. I was invited to opening of new Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, beautiful new building, when compared to the old train engine repair workshop from days gone by.

Will be helping them out a little with this and that......

http://edinburghsculpture.org/programme/news/new-sculpture-centre

 

[oddbob]

...One thing I've always been keen on is having a basic honesty in how stuff is made so the materials and processes used come across in the finished work. I see this as aiming for something which is based on good engineering without being over-finished just for the sake of it. If something is bolted together then why hide the bolts ?

I tend to take the view that if something is well designed and made it shouldn't need too much tarting up.

I mostly agree, but, at the same time, do find myself deliberately using methods which disguise how something was actually put together. It's also important to remember that the average viewer of your work won't be as aware or concerned with the construction methods used as they are with the overall impact or aesthetics of the finished piece. So nuts, bolts, rivets etc can be a good shorthand simply to suggest something industrial or add to the works narrative.