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Object: As the Fish Rots
Materials: Marble and Smalti on Cement Board
Dimensions: 27" x 40.75"
Method: Direct with mortar
As the fish rots from the head,
All sanity and decency is dead.
It was an interesting experience for me to pour ugly thoughts into something that is still appealing to me artistically. I have always been drawn to express the beauty I see in things. This, was very different.
The phrase "as the fish rots from the head down" caught my attention late in 2017. Its origins are disputed, but there is no doubt the expression has been around for centuries. These few words perfectly encapsulate the root of the distressing events being piled on since January 20, 2017 in the United States of America.
Selected for the "Mosaic Arts International Exhibition 2018"
SAMA's Annual International Juried Exhibition
Recipient of SAMA's "Technical Distinction Award 2018"
See more of the award winners.
On display in 2018: February 15 - April 27:
Close-ups & Process
Close-ups & Process
01 Detail
02 Detail
03 Detail
04 Detail
05 As you pass by, the white and gold smalti signals you subtly with the reflections of light.
06 The initial sketch; a purge onto paper. No other comprehensive drawings were made for this work.
07 Research is very important to my process. It is also such a great opportunity to learn new things. I studied the skeletons of fish to understand what lies beneath the skin, where the organs are, etc. This all informed me how to approach the decomposing areas.
08 Just like sketches on paper, I like to "sketch" with the stone initially, dryfitting to get a feel of how to translate the idea into stone.
09 Committing the stone and glass with mortar.
10 Editing is a brutal event. Even after a day, it is a challenge to remove pieces, but it must be done.
11 Moving along.
12 The crucial work is done flat. Once I was in the groove, the work went on the easel to save my back & neck.
13 The last section of drifting rot was important to get right for balance. Inserting paper to work out the flow more carefully determined the final path.
14 When the entire work was "completed", I chiseled out various sections for over a week, tweaking the stone and mortar color in locations that felt wrong.
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