Caitlin Lopez, Student Work

Going Nowhere

balsa wood, straight pins, wood glue

approx. 2.5" x 5.5" x 2.5"

Glass House

packaging tape, balsa wood, straight pins, masking tape, wood glue

3" x 7.5" x 3"

Stuck...

paper, wood glue, balsa wood

3.5" x 2" x 3.25"

In Process:

My first sculpture focused on rhythm. To achieve this, I glued two long skinny pieces of balsa wood together, and then sanded them once they dried to create a cylindrical form. I then folded my sand paper and sanded grooves that swirled around the form. I laid out straight pins using the grid on my cutting mat and poured a layer of wood glue between them. lastly, after drying, I stuck the shelf or step-like structures along the curving paths made by the grooves. This resulted in a rhythm created by the uneven steps as one spins the sculpture using the pins on either top or bottom. 

With the second sculpture I explore space. I had the idea to create a space that was transparent to the viewer, so that no aspect of the space was closed off from sight. To do this, I chose to use packaging tape for the outer structure, rather than masking tape. The inner dome is another space, that can be viewed from the bottom, and is pierced by straight pins which lift it about 3/4" from the surface that it rests on. I made this using a balsa wood circle that I cut lengthwise, then sanded and put grooves on each and wedged them together. I then added triangles of masking tape and dots of wood glue. I was inspired by some shells that are round with tiny bumps on them. 

My final sculpture emphasizes texture. I started by attempting to create a pulp out of the paper by shredding it into small pieces and soaking it in water for a few days. My plan was to create something soft and cloud-like, however, the paper did not break down in the water. I then decided  to saturate the paper with wood glue to make a sticky paste. I formed a lump with a dent similar to a bowl, and allowed to dry. I then stacked three squares of balsa wood, glued them, and sanded them into a ball, which i placed into the dent. the smooth soft texture of the ball contrasts with the rough hardened texture of the jagged paper to emphasize both.