Mike Roig, Sculpture


The Texas Two Step: Avian Edition

 

Decmber 22, 2019

 

 

I always go into December hopeful that it can be as productive a month as I think it can be,

and then the end of the year to-do list keeps throwing up its endless distractions. I thought with no

plans to travel beyond a trip to New York to take care of some family business early in the month

I'd be able to stay focused in the studio. But that business extended to almost a week away, and then

a bout of sickness brought home from that trip had me definitely pacing what I could accomplish.

 

However, progress has been made.

 

   

 

The first step was to take all that square tubing stock and sand the surface to take it from the dull grey

finish it starts out with to the refractive sheen that transforms stainless steel into a medium with life. From

there I built a work stand that would hold the two armitures in the correct ratio of separation and height

differential so I could work on them at floor level. Then building off those stainless steel hubs the vertical

elements of the armiture went from theory to fact.

 

 

The rings that wil support the birds are rough rolled, and the next step there will be connecting them to those

vertical elements. Meanwhile I've been doing some designing and refining of the base elements and

the bird shapes.

 

 

After making a couple of paper models of the base, I've settled on what I've deemed the most

elegant propotions that will hold the birds aloft with grace and strength. My first idea appearing to

my eyes too chunky and heavy I opted for a slimmed down version that will still have plenty of

visual presence without overwhelming the more delicate dance of shapes in the kinetic elements

above. I'll be getting a start on the base this week and will have the bolt pattern for anchoring

set and ready to send by the end of the week.

 

There will be well over one hundred birds on the kinetic elements by the time all is said and done.

Here again I opted to play with the design and rather than use a single pattern decided to go with

four. By sequncing the pattern of wing positions to mimic flight it should make for an interesting

and more naturalistic illusion of a murmuration of mockingbirds. One of the comments I read about

as to why mockigbirds are the Texas state bird talks about their fierceness in protecting their territory.

Somehow a stately procession of identicle birds just didn't seem in keeping with that independent

temperament.

 

 

 

 

I'm having these shapes laser cut, and part of my learning curve was to learn how to generate

CAD files for the computer controled cutting machine. With the help of my much more tech savvy wife

and another very good friend who is owed a very good dinner out I believe we have those ready to go

tomorrow.

 

As a sign off for today, enjoy the animation my wife made from these images - and Merry Christmas.

 

- Mike Roig 12/22/19

 

 

November 23 Start Page

 

January 6 update

 

January 20 update

 

February 6 update

 

March 1 update

 

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