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My World: Some New Steel!

Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I have a fascination with building solid objects, starting with framing and exporting my ideas as real physical objects that can be touched and take up space and a life of their own. . Recently I've taken up work in steel again. It starts as a bent wire model with the ends epoxied into a heavy beam of wood. Then it's fabricated into a larger version. I am now assembling this sculpture. I meant this larger version as merely a maquette for a larger work to be set outside. However i like it so much that I'm going to use it indoors. So far, this is what I have to show:

IMG_1639.jpg


© Asher Kelman Sculpture and photograph: Partners

Steel, 28' x56" x 27"

2013​


Next I have to build a base.........


Need more Alieve, LOL! :)

Asher
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Not stainless, Jerome, except the base. So it really needs to be protected with lacquer or else primed and painted or even better, powder coated and baked.

The steel is arc welded by a fabricator. I deliver the model made of steel 1/8" diameter which I bend to the required shaped fixed to a wooden base. They copy that but to double the size. I follow its progress and adjust the curves as needed.

Them I will make 3 D computer model and alter it for the final sculpture ~ 3 times the size again. The final size will be 4.5 meters in length.

Asher
 
Doug Kerr

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

Asher Kelman said:
Not stainless, Jerome, except the base. So it really needs to be protected with lacquer or else primed and painted or even better, powder coated and baked.

The steel is arc welded by a fabricator. I deliver the model made of steel 1/8" diameter which I bend to the required shaped fixed to a wooden base. They copy that but to double the size. I follow its progress and adjust the curves as needed.

Them I will make 3 D computer model and alter it for the final sculpture ~ 3 times the size again. The final size will be 4.5 meters in length.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a fabulous project!

Best regards,

Doug
 
M

Maggie Terlecki

Moderator
Cool stuff, Asher. To me, it feels like two people doing a dance. Does the final end up in your yard? It seems like this would be huge. The placement of it would be so important.
 
Jerome Marot

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
Asher Kelman said:
The steel is arc welded by a fabricator. I deliver the model made of steel 1/8" diameter which I bend to the required shaped fixed to a wooden base. They copy that but to double the size. I follow its progress and adjust the curves as needed.
Click to expand...

Arc welding is actually not very difficult for normal steel. How do you bend the wires for the model?

Could we have some pictures taken from a different angle? I find it hard to imagine how the 3 wires are arranged.
 
Tom dinning

Tom dinning

Registrant*
Now I am getting the picture. Big is good. In the garden is good. Kids swinging from it, washing as well, some cobwebs and a bit of rust, maybe some water for reflection. A nice contrasting colour. Red. Yes, red. and a chair under it for contemplation.
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Jerome Marot said:
Arc welding is actually not very difficult for normal steel. How do you bend the wires for the model?

Could we have some pictures taken from a different angle? I find it hard to imagine how the 3 wires are arranged.
Click to expand...



Jerome,

Your interest is appreciated! First the original wire model.


IMG_1803.jpg


Asher Kelman :Bent Wire Model
​


The steel wire is actually taken from a wire fence so it has seemingly irregular bends already in it. Actually these is from the fact that these strands of steel were woven into a giant mesh which I re-purposed. The irregularities I simply ignored as I designed the curves I wanted, wrapping the wire round objects of the diameter I needed, and forcing the curve to follow my wishes!


So here's some pictures with 1" tubular steel, before I decided on a lighter base.


Asher 16 copy.jpg


Asher Kelman :Built with 1" tubular steel 1



Asher17.jpg


Asher Kelman :Built with 1" tubular steel 2
​


Hope that makes it clearer.


Asher
 
Tom dinning

Tom dinning

Registrant*
Tom dinning said:
Now I am getting the picture. Big is good. In the garden is good. Kids swinging from it, washing as well, some cobwebs and a bit of rust, maybe some water for reflection. A nice contrasting colour. Red. Yes, red. and a chair under it for contemplation.
Click to expand...

Funny you should mention it, Fahim. I had the camera there only this morning. The usual polyp search. Not sure if they used EVF. All clear, although they did find the remote for my TV. I wondered where that had gone. Chances are the tube became as convoluted as Asher's statue. Maybe that's where he got the idea.
I was in no way being derogatory in regard to Asher's masterpiece. I like garden sculpture. Installations like this become part of the furniture, so to speak. Kids should be able to play on it, people should sit on it, things should be hung on it, it should be allowed to age as the family does. Such sculpture grows with meaning as well as form and structure. It will become Granpa's Folly and will be spoken of with fondness in years to come. When I get there I'm going to climb it, if I can.
How's the ticker, by the way? You back on your feet? Can I niggle you yet? Just a little bit?
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
No rust, I'm afraid. No laundry or kids on it, either. This version will be indoors by a window and just the tubular curves painted RAL 3026


RAL-3026-Leuchthellrot.gif


fensterversand.com: RAL 3026, Luminous Bright Red!​


Only imaginary relationships, not objects themselves, were referenced in this study which deals with just tentative connections.


Asher
 
Tom dinning

Tom dinning

Registrant*
Asher Kelman said:
No rust, I'm afraid. No laundry or kids on it, either. This version will be indoors by a window and just the tubular curves painted

Only imaginary relationships, not objects themselves, were referenced in this study which deals with just tentative connections.


Asher
Click to expand...

I'll hang my hat on it when I come visit. Figuratively speaking, I already have. Is that tentative enough for you?
 
Chris Calohan II

Chris Calohan II

Well-known member
An interesting project. it is quite similar, and I mean this is a very nice way, to the wire sculptures I hade my sculpture students do. They used 1.8" aluminum wire. I wanted to real wire and let the students solder but was told that was too dangerous...same kids that were using ether in the process of wet plate work...at any rate, one year a student did a masterful rendition of the belly to belly waltz and the admin not just killed his idea, they stopped me from ever doing wire again. I played stupid as di the kid and we lived to artistically harass another day.

I really like this project.
 
James Lemon

James Lemon

Well-known member
Asher Kelman said:
I have a fascination with building solid objects, starting with framing and exporting my ideas as real physical objects that can be touched and take up space and a life of their own. . Recently I've taken up work in steel again. It starts as a bent wire model with the ends epoxied into a heavy beam of wood. Then it's fabricated into a larger version. I am now assembling this sculpture. I meant this larger version as merely a maquette for a larger work to be set outside. However i like it so much that I'm going to use it indoors. So far, this is what I have to show:

IMG_1639.jpg


© Asher Kelman Sculpture and photograph: Partners

Steel, 28' x56" x 27"

2013​


Next I have to build a base.........


Need more Alieve, LOL! :)

Asher
Click to expand...

Interesting project Asher! I like the abstract nature of this but I wonder how much thought went into the frame that it is welded to. The reason I ask is I think it should conform to the sculpture itself in someway but it does not seem to fit the arcs and curves. Maybe it's because we live in a world of right angles.
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
James Lemon said:
Interesting project Asher! I like the abstract nature of this but I wonder how much thought went into the frame that it is welded to. The reason I ask is I think it should conform to the sculpture itself in someway but it does not seem to fit the arcs and curves. Maybe it's because we live in a world of right angles.
Click to expand...



Great points, Jim,

A lot of thought went into the base. first it was to be wood but then this lacked unity. Then I tried steel, it was to be black or oxidized, but this was foreign. Then I realized that with the tubes being bright red, the pattern would become mobile in the reflection! So that's the final presentation!

Asher
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
A little further on, the first priming coat.


_R075357_Red_Tube_001.jpg


Asher Kelman: Steel Sculpture: Red ​


One matter that has to be considered is the base. I added 4 threaded rods near the corners of the steel plate, but with all the work on the top and welding, the steel sheet is no longer mirrored perfectly. So I am removing that base and going to go for a thicker polished steel instead and bolt the sculptural steel on from below.

The idea is to have perfectly flat mirror finish to the steel and and that is pretty hard to do. Photoshop is far easier and less chance of getting burnt and there's no "undo" here or "layers".

Asher
 
Jerome Marot

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
Asher Kelman said:
The idea is to have perfectly flat mirror finish to the steel
Click to expand...

Just drill holes in a mirror plate and let the rods pass through these holes to a second steel plate under it. Weld the rods to the second plate. The bottom plate will serve as support and the top plate will not be deformed from stress either from welding or from the weight of the rods.
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
To update folks, the sculpture has gained a lot of power as I moved it away from a wall. I changed the name from "Partners" to "The Conversation" since that was what was going on. I also realized that it works best when parallax cause distance objects to move fast with a slight movement of one's eyes. So it occurred to me that this deserves a larges space around it with lots of objects at a distance to move in relation to the curves. That we objects enter spaces that appear between curved rods and then a lost and other spaces open up to capture them again.

So there's a dynamic interplay between the sculpture and its environment. I set myself on a task for finding a location outside for a massive version of this work. Now I have reverse engineered the form and in answer for a city's invitation for submissions for a city's art.


ASHER2.165.jpg

​
Asher
 
Doug Kerr

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

Asher Kelman said:
To update folks, the sculpture has gained a lot of power as I moved it away from a wall . . . Now I have reverse engineered the form and in answer for a city's invitation for submissions for a city's art.


ASHER2.165.jpg

​
Asher
Click to expand...
An excellent move. A wonderful example of what can happen when we are prepared for and alert to opportunities!

I will be anxious to hear of how this project proceeds.

Best regards,

Doug
 
James Lemon

James Lemon

Well-known member
Asher Kelman said:
To update folks, the sculpture has gained a lot of power as I moved it away from a wall. I changed the name from "Partners" to "The Conversation" since that was what was going on. I also realized that it works best when parallax cause distance objects to move fast with a slight movement of one's eyes. So it occurred to me that this deserves a larges space around it with lots of objects at a distance to move in relation to the curves. That we objects enter spaces that appear between curved rods and then a lost and other spaces open up to capture them again.

So there's a dynamic interplay between the sculpture and its environment. I set myself on a task for finding a location outside for a massive version of this work. Now I have reverse engineered the form and in answer for a city's invitation for submissions for a city's art.


ASHER2.165.jpg

​
Asher
Click to expand...

Hello Asher

This would look very impressive indeed! Will you transport this to its location in pieces to be erected on site? What will the weight of this be? Twenty one feet is very high to transport on a truck. Is there a budget?

Best, regards
James
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
James Lemon said:
Hello Asher

This would look very impressive indeed! Will you transport this to its location in pieces to be erected on site? What will the weight of this be? Twenty one feet is very high to transport on a truck. Is there a budget?

Best, regards
James
Click to expand...

It would be transported by 16/18 wheeler truck.........I have to win the bid first!!!

It's a very tight budget for the dream I have!

Asher
 
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