'The Eternal Prisoner'-sculpture

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johnny.t.

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A sculptural piece with a pyro decorated sphere inside a pierced skeleton sphere through which it will not fit! The ring is 11" wide and 2" thick, its been heavily carved,ebonised and silver added to the high spots. I won't waffle on about the meaning of it here but a detailed explaination of the thoughts behind it is posted on my blog if anyone is interested.
This is also my 3rd woodturning anniversary piece(I first put tool to wood in October 2008)

Comments and critiques are very much more than welcome.

eternalprisoner650.jpg

eternalprisonerclose.jpg
 
The lathe has certainly just become another tool in the creation emporium that is your workshop/mind.

Respect the time and perseverance involved in that.
 
Definitely my kind of work. I like this very much although I didn't need to hear the story behind it for that (much as I agree with the sentiments). It stands on its own as a piece of art.

Great stuff.
 
Hi Johnny

Great work. As said else where it reminds me of "enso" .

Congrats on the front cover of WOW much deserved.
 
johnny.t.":2jnv7g74 said:
A sculptural piece with a pyro decorated sphere inside a pierced skeleton sphere through which it will not fit! The ring is 11" wide and 2" thick, its been heavily carved,ebonised and silver added to the high spots. I won't waffle on about the meaning of it here but a detailed explaination of the thoughts behind it is posted on my blog if anyone is interested.
This is also my 3rd woodturning anniversary piece(I first put tool to wood in October 2008)

Comments and critiques are very much more than welcome.

Skilfully crafted, and aesthetically pleasing.

However, I flatly defy anyone to deduce/guess your ideas behind it without reading your text, which means that the ideas are only in the text and not the piece itself.

BugBear
 
bugbear":2onvh8ki said:
However, I flatly defy anyone to deduce/guess your ideas behind it without reading your text, which means that the ideas are only in the text and not the piece itself.

No, not at all. The thoughts behind it are what created it, therefore they are completely in the piece itself. As with any piece like this it, of course, must stand alone as a piece of art without any explanation (which I hope it does), then anyone drawn in by its appearance may read the title and this will give (I hope again) more insight into what it is meant to be about. If anyone then goes on to read the complete thoughts on my blog they will see (I hope for a third time) how I got there. The chances are the eventual purchaser will buy it because they find the look of it appealing but this doesn't mean it shouldn't have a meaning for me does it?
 
This is a very striking piece and looks really well made

I have returned to this piece many times. I like it but ....

The bit that gives me my "but" is the outer ball within which the metal looking one sits. To me it looks almost like it is made from pipe cleaners and has that minor jarring for me. I offer this as a minor comment to helpfully give considered feedback and not to detract in any way from a very skillfully crafted feature piece of art.
 
johnny.t.":3vzbq97h said:
bugbear":3vzbq97h said:
However, I flatly defy anyone to deduce/guess your ideas behind it without reading your text, which means that the ideas are only in the text and not the piece itself.

No, not at all. The thoughts behind it are what created it, therefore they are completely in the piece itself. As with any piece like this it, of course, must stand alone as a piece of art without any explanation (which I hope it does), then anyone drawn in by its appearance may read the title and this will give (I hope again) more insight into what it is meant to be about. If anyone then goes on to read the complete thoughts on my blog they will see (I hope for a third time) how I got there. The chances are the eventual purchaser will buy it because they find the look of it appealing but this doesn't mean it shouldn't have a meaning for me does it?

If I'm thinking about the sun when I make a circle, I've still only made a circle. I might have been thinking of the earth. I still get a circle. It's just a circle. It's not the sun. It's not the earth. It's a circle.

The thought is only expressed in the work if you put it there - merely having it in your mind when (or before) you make the piece doesn't do it.

BugBear
 
A superb piece of work,JT, beautifully crafted.
BB, I`d say that ideas are only symbolised through art.
You can`t make the sun or the earth, only symbolise them, whether through simple circles, or something more elaborate.
I think that ideas may well be contained within a piece of turning even though they`re not made explicit, whether within the piece or as an addendum by the turner. Otherwise, if the intention and meaning of the piece was always to be immediately apparent to all, it would be little more than modelmaking.

Ian
 
Silverbirch":1dvxw5ih said:
A superb piece of work,JT, beautifully crafted.
BB, I`d say that ideas are only symbolised through art.
You can`t make the sun or the earth, only symbolise them, whether through simple circles, or something more elaborate.
I think that ideas may well be contained within a piece of turning even though they`re not made explicit, whether within the piece or as an addendum by the turner. Otherwise, if the intention and meaning of the piece was always to be immediately apparent to all, it would be little more than modelmaking.

Ian

Oh, most certainly. I wouldn't expect a symbolic piece to be completely obvious, certainly at first glance - that would be uninteresting.

But I cannot see the symbolic representation in this piece of

artist":1dvxw5ih said:
outdated tradition, religion, tribal mentalities, greed and the self imposed financial world(it doesn't really exist, we invented it!) that tells mankind 'We can't afford to go further'.

That quite a specific and complex set of ideas. Whilst that might be all the things the artists hoped to express, or was thinking about, all the viewer actually has is a (very nice) textured polyhedral framework.

Yeah, "cage", "capture", "enclosure", "restriction" isn't much of an interpretive leap.

... but the full list of abstract concepts (above) from Johny's text?

Sorry, I don't think it's there in the work.

Which I still like, BTW.

BugBear
 
The text you have lifted from my blog is there as an explanation of only the cage part, so of course it wouldn't make sense if you just take those words put them as if they are the total explanation(as you have) and then say "I don't see it"

To put it very simply for you, the cage represents those things(the words you copied and pasted) that hold us(mankind) back and yes I truly believe that, they are the cage that imprisons us. Whether you think you can't see it is irrelevant its still whats behind its creation!. Art is created on a personal level but I just think its nice to use my blog to share the story behind it with anyone who wants to read it.

What is it that you are trying to say? Its a load of pretentious old sh@t???? Thats ok if you think that, but just come out and say it! Once again just to clarify, the explanation on my blog is to give the thinking behind it, its certainly not what I was randomly thinking while making it as you have suggested with your circle, sun waffle!!
 
johnny.t.":1e0h4l3n said:
The text you have lifted from my blog is there as an explanation of only the cage part, so of course it wouldn't make sense if you just take those words put them as if they are the total explanation(as you have) and then say "I don't see it"

To put it very simply for you, the cage represents those things(the words you copied and pasted) that hold us(mankind) back and yes I truly believe that, they are the cage that imprisons us. Whether you think you can't see it is irrelevant its still whats behind its creation!. Art is created on a personal level but I just think its nice to use my blog to share the story behind it with anyone who wants to read it.

What is it that you are trying to say? Its a load of pretentious old sh@t???? Thats ok if you think that, but just come out and say it! Once again just to clarify, the explanation on my blog is to give the thinking behind it, its certainly not what I was randomly thinking while making it as you have suggested with your circle, sun waffle!!


Comments and critiques are very much more than welcome.


You might also note the number of comments (not from me) in this thread that are really rather careful to praise the skill, technique, form, etc, whilst rather carefully not commenting on meaning.

BugBear
 

Comments and critiques are very much more than welcome.


BugBear

You do like to copy and paste don't you :lol:

I don't see the relevance of the above post, comments and critiques are welcome, including yours, I'm just interested in why it rattled your cage mainly?
 
I find myself with a foot in both camps.

In much work I find the thoughts that led to the title of a piece entirely irrelevant. Only the end result matters - do I like it, do I admire the skill.

I would never name a piece of work because for ME it would be pretentious because I don't do that sort of art. I am just looking for something in the wood. So it would be tempting to apply the same label to someone else.

Except I can't. I have no idea what goes on in someone else's head. If Johnny says that what it was about, thats what it was about. If I see it or not is irrelevant. It doesn't change the piece in any way to know he's being a bit luvvy :lol: :lol: :lol:

Johnny is a very fine woodturner and is entitled to view his art any way he chooses.
 
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