Transference of Power

February 27, 2012 8:59 PM

The human form in chains. Bicycle chains.
posted by rtha (24 comments total)

wow... That's neat stuff..

If you have ever in your life had a bike chain in your hands, you will appreciate the difficulty of this.
posted by HuronBob at 9:03 PM on February 27 [3 favorites]

I can only guess these are far out of my price range, but oh I'd love to commission one.
posted by cccorlew at 9:08 PM on February 27

Does he link the chain as he goes, or are the pieces welded individually?
posted by grog at 9:09 PM on February 27

Can I make requests? A sculpture of someone riding a bicycle, please.
posted by not_on_display at 9:14 PM on February 27 [3 favorites]

I'm going to make a derail and all these sculptures will fall apart.
posted by twoleftfeet at 9:16 PM on February 27 [2 favorites]

I think the artist would appreciate more derails.
posted by Defenestrator at 9:21 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]

These are really impressive. I wonder what his work-process is - does he use modelling software?

Also: there's a "Man is born free" joke to be made somewhere in here.
posted by Oxydude at 9:32 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]

I like this one, made from rusted chains.
posted by wikipedia brown boy detective at 9:36 PM on February 27 [4 favorites]

My gosh - I don't know what to say. These are exquisite.
posted by darkstar at 9:56 PM on February 27

Damn you Oxydude, I was just about to make that joke.

These are outstanding.
posted by asterix at 10:07 PM on February 27

These are fantastic. Something about the form and texture and the way the light reflects of it, really helps.

I was also wondering if he has software where 1 link = 1 polygon.
posted by carter at 10:15 PM on February 27

Yeah, this punched all the "want" buttons in my brain. Very nice, humanistic.
posted by maxwelton at 10:21 PM on February 27

I wasn't expecting it to be so amazing.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:32 PM on February 27

Interesting post, thanks.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:12 PM on February 27

I was expecting something much smaller. These are amazing, great post.
posted by chapps at 11:28 PM on February 27

Does he link the chain as he goes, or are the pieces welded individually?

I don't see any sign of welding. He probably uses a metal adhesive like LocTite.
posted by clarknova at 12:33 AM on February 28 [1 favorite]

So much of art nowadays seems to amount to a test of endurance on the part of the artist. We look at the object, and rather than experience something challenging or transcendent, we marvel at the technical feat, the sheer audacity of attempting to stack coins to form a gigantic likeness of Joan Rivers, or of fashioning a detailed cityscape out of earwax. While I don't deny the skill in these feats, I'm inclined to think that they really rank along with galleons made of matchsticks and the world's largest ball of string, rather than necessarily belonging in art galleries. But maybe I'm just old-fashioned.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:43 AM on February 28 [3 favorites]

But maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

Yup. Some clever bugger invented the camera, and then a hundred or so years later you've got students throwing antique plaster casts down the elevator shaft rather than using them to learn to sculpt and draw.

Although in this case the sculptor probably has decent representational art chops. But he wouldn't have gotten the attention if he'd used a traditional medium. Sigh.
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:15 AM on February 28

Incredible.
posted by misha at 6:23 AM on February 28

"Honey, dinner's almost ready."
"Gimme 5 minutes...I'm right in the middle of making a scrotum out of bicycle chains."
"OK."
posted by jimmythefish at 6:49 AM on February 28 [1 favorite]

So much of art nowadays seems to amount to a test of endurance on the part of the artist. We look at the object, and rather than experience something challenging or transcendent, we marvel at the technical feat…

So often I hear people complaining that some modern art isn't truly art because the technical feat seems so small to them ("I could do that!"). Now we get the complaint that something isn't art because the technical feat overshadows the other aspects.
posted by grouse at 8:15 AM on February 28 [3 favorites]

Although in this case the sculptor probably has decent representational art chops. But he wouldn't have gotten the attention if he'd used a traditional medium. Sigh.

His chops seem beyond decent to me. I'm puzzled by the criticism that what he chose as a medium makes his sculptures less...artistic, I guess you're saying? Isn't a big part of art trying to find new ways to say old or new things? Why would a bust made of marble be more...whatever than a bust out of bicycle chains?
posted by rtha at 8:22 AM on February 28 [4 favorites]

Good grief, that's wonderful. Thanks for posting this, rtha.
posted by Zed at 10:26 AM on February 28

I love the torsos. I don't care what they're made of, they are beautiful. (And the fact that they are made of bicycle chains makes me want them even more!)
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 10:51 AM on February 28 [2 favorites]