(if you click on the images it will give you a bigger view, should be able to click again for a close up)
This is little side table commission I just finished. My client contacted me and said he really liked one of my pieces but he needed something to serve a different purpose. The original piece (below) was 48" tall and was designed as a sculpture stand - well, originally it was to be a dictionary stand but I liked the base so much I needed to redesign it so it could be seen.
What was needed in this case was a side table to fit between two lounge chairs at 22" tall. So, the challenge, to bring the top down so it would accommodate easy access to a drink, and still convey the figurative nature of the original piece.
While considering the structural adjustments my mind went back to the old "Lucky Strike" cigarette ads from the 50's, with the cigarette girl with the tray giving out free samples. Both the original and this new 'lady' have a clear 'moderne' or deco styling. This proved to be the ticket for me on this project.
The base needed to provide a low center of gravity in order to keep the delicate figure from being top heavy. So I included my reference to my 'Slab' series and the Columbia Gorge columnar basalt rock formations (see my website - thematic - Slab Series). This also references many clocks, bookends, mantel sculpture pieces from the Art Deco period where a stylized figure was staged upon an angular rock formation, many times a cubist rendering or stylization. Here's a link to a website with a lot of these beautiful sculpture pieces from the Mid Century. http://www.decodame.com/decorativearts/statues_sculptures.htm
This is another view of the final piece showing my selection of a beautiful veneer that creates some added drama to the piece. This is what is called 'crotch cut Mahogany'.
Once again, I hope this gives you a little insight into my design process.
