Development & Method
Independent Development
The formal vocabulary and systematic approach of Figurative Structures emerged from a background in theoretical physics and software architecture rather than art historical study. The methodological framework — treating the body as a structural variable, mapping boundary conditions — reflects computational and scientific thinking applied to questions of form. Later research revealed certain formal affinities with Edward Weston’s organic formalism, Robert Mapplethorpe’s neoclassical rigor, and John Coplans’s serial method, though the underlying methodology and governing principle remain distinct.
Near-Orthographic Projection
A methodological constant across all series has been the consistent use of near-orthographic projection — photographing subjects with longer focal lengths at extended distances to eliminate perspective distortion. This technical decision serves a conceptual purpose: it renders form as structural reality rather than viewpoint-dependent appearance. The figure is presented as it is organized, not as it appears from a particular vantage point. This approach treats the camera as an instrument of structural observation rather than a device for composing views. The photographic work was produced on medium format film and digital capture; this methodological commitment has remained constant across all formats.
SCULPTURAL METHOD: HAND-MODELING AND SOLID CASTING
The sculptures are hand-modeled and solid-cast in high-density hydrostone. Solid casting ensures continuous material density throughout the form — the interior sustains the same mass as the surface, with no hollow core. This structural completeness is integral to the work’s investigation of sustained equilibrium. Each work is unique: modeled at full scale, not enlarged from a maquette. The hand-applied verdigris patina is built in multiple translucent layers, creating tonal depth across the surface. Each sculpture is permanently integrated with its stone base — granite for Tacit, marble for Torsion — with base dimensions calculated to extend beyond the center of gravity, ensuring absolute physical stability. Each completed sculpture is documented through photogrammetry, producing precise digital models that enable future translation to bronze at varying scales. The techniques are inherited. The investigation they serve is not.