Artist's
Statement
My purpose as a model shipbuilder is to express
traditional
19th century marine design and aesthetics
through the lens of my own
experience and artistic
sensibility. My desire is to enhance the expressive
elements of the maritime arts through my own design
interpretations while
being true to historical accuracy,
form and function.
My professional career as a craftsman began
in 1979, when I was twenty-five. I had been preparing for this since
age four, when I realized that ships and the sea were the major interest
in my life. In the 18 years since 1979, I have been immersed in the same
imagery: ships and boats of the 19th and early 20th century, along with
scrimshaw artifacts, decorative ship carving, and figureheads.
A major
influence on my work has been my direct contact with antique marine folk
art and scrimshaw through conservation and restoration projects I have
done. Because this activity requires matching construction and paint
styles, it has helped me develop my own style through the synthesis of
all that I have learned. Consequently, I try to impart an antique aesthetic
into my new work. What I have learned from the disassembly and restoration
of these artifacts is virtually unobtainable through institutional
study.
Bone, a seldom used material today, I use frequently
both in restoration and new construction projects. My first commissions
were for small models of whaling ships made of bone. I learned to work
the material on my own and after ten years felt that I had gained mastery.
The texture, patina and grain of bone is distinctive and gives a rich
finish to the piece. In combination with the judicious use of paint, the contrast
between paint and bone can be striking. My bone work forms a direct
link to the traditional sailors' art of scrimshaw.
All my work is based on a
long tradition of maritime ways and knowledge. Specifically, wooden ship
and boat design and construction, masts and rigging, figureheads and
decorative carving, color schemes and maritime history. I have assimilated
all this through research and working on period artifacts. To maintain
integrity with these maritime traditions, my work must be historically
accurate as well as aesthetically pleasing.
In recent years I have become
involved with surface qualities in my work. This includes texture, color,
patina as used to enhance the impact of the piece. This has led to an
exploration of traditional oil painting materials and techniques and
their application.
My most satisfying projects are my own original designs,
or ways of displaying the models that allow for originality in a historical
context. Artistic interpretation is important to my work, so I avoid
exact miniaturization and duplication. I want each piece to stand on its own
artistic merit and not viewed as an exact representation to be compared
with the original or some imaginary ideal. This can often be the case
with shipmodels. My writings about this issue have been published in the "Nautical
Research Journal," a magazine for maritime scholars and model
builders.
My ultimate goal as an artist is to integrate the craft
of shipmodel building with the realm of fine art. My studies of art
and art history have helped expand and sharpen my aesthetic sense. The lessons
learned from an artistic approach to life have brought me steps closer
to this goal.
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