Student Examples, Abstract Metal Form Project

Fall 2025:

Aaliyah Hernandez

Made from thin, cold-rollled sheet steel, this pairing of 2 disconnected pieces was cut with a foot shear, bent with a sheet metal brake, and soaked in dilute Muriatic Acid. The artist wished to give the metal a light patinated texture, and to break from its pristine raw metal finish. Her concept was to create two objects that could be paired in a variety of relationships, as seen in these images. The objects were turned and balanced in combinations that changed the feeling dramatically. Some poses are arched and light-weight in appearane, while others feel heavily rooted to the base. Different evocations of balance, movement, and energy were achived.

Danya Mosgofian

Aluminum screen was the primary material of choice in these pieces, with the selective addition of copper and steel wire. Here, vessels - some containing kernels of color - have a deep meaning for the artist. They can be viewed as both individual works and as grouped relationships. The wire mesh creates a transparency and lightness, while also evoking tonal values through overlaps of the mesh. One can see both the inside and outside of the objects at the same time. These pieces all have different implied movements.

The collection is entitled, "Echos: Remnants of Emotion", and each individual piece also has a name. Naming artwork will typically set up an expectation of what a work may be about, and each artist must decide on whether or not they wish to evoke a defined meaning to their work. This is an important topic to be discussed in class and among your fellow students. There is a deep philosophical argument between the two points of view, as some strongly feel that a work becomes divorced from its origins, while others believe that there is value in the intentions of the creator. See: Intention Versus Anti-intention.

Dennise Sosa

Aluminum flashing was cut into strips, heavily manipulated, sanded, painted, distressed, bent, and woven into this wall-hung sculpture. The artist employed her understanding of textiles, exploring how textures and materiality could create a composition. Light and shadow play a major role in defining the piece, including the dance of specular highlights on the metal, and the flatness of the wall shadows. Depth is described through shadows, the curves of the metal strips, and the overlapping between strips. At work here is "process", or how a piece is experimentally created by what happes to it as it is manipulated and explored. It is created by the act of trial, error, gained experience, and discovery.

Ky Neilsen

Raw aluminum flashing was used to create this ribbon-like movement. A set of two related pieces is the result of experimentation in the unraveling of zig-zagging spiral cuts. Resembling the unpeeling of an orange. the metal strips were hammered into dished surfces that caused them to wind around in space - where it once was a simple flat sheet. Hanging from thread, the two objects gently twist around their axes, creating a dance of curves and reflection. As seen below, the background and lighting play a tremendous role in defining their relative lightness. Is the metal dark, or light?

Max Brooks

Made from the same type of sheet metal as Aalyah Hernandez's geometric sculpture (seen at the top of this page), this dragon curves and undulates in space. It is sharp and dangerous to the touch, evoking the feeling of both power and magic. The steel remains in its clean bright state, though the material was cut, textured, formed and riveted together. It is a lyrical piece that describes the wildness of the creature, which cannot be captured or stopped. Although the project was defined explicitly not to allow any abstraction of living objects, the artist nevertheless chose to create a living representation.

Richard Faria

Large, sharp, heavy, precarious... these are adjectives that describe this piece. The artist worked from home to create the sculpture from essentialy found metal scrap. It is made from heavy-gauge steel that has been cut, bent, and primarily welded together. The create tension, the work sits at the edge of the sculpture base, poised to leap in the air or collapse to the ground. This precariousness gives the piece movement and a sense of danger. It has several hanging elements that if touched will swing from its wires. From different views, the work appears to be either a living creature, or a collapsing building. The large mass that sits centrally on the stand serves to anchor the work solidly to the base, while the open, perforated elements reach out like fingers into the air.

Samantha Hammond

This piece is made from painted aluminum sheet that has been cut and carefully folded into a wavy, fan-like geometirc form. Composed of three individual parts, the scuplture was put together with blind rivets, some of which are visible. These connectors serve as a witness to the process of construction. As a wall-piece, the background itself serves as a device for projecting the sculpture beyond its physical edges. The white painted sheets, like the wall, reflect color painted on their backs. The only lighting sources are the lamps shining down from the ceiling. The soft, implied shapes created by color enhance the creases and crevices of this piece. Below is a blurry image, the only copy I had showing parts of the back side.