Frederic Crist
(Virginia, b. 1951)

Wrapped Totems 1-6, 2008–2011
Forged steel
8’ (H) x 5’ (W) x 26” (D)

ARTIST’S STATEMENT:

As a sculptor, and craftsman I have always been fascinated with the malleability and solidity of hot metal. It reflects the pliable nature of clay, having the ability to mold and shape it into desired forms. As the metal cools it retains its solid or linear strength.

The forging process is critical to the development of these works, pressing hammering shaping , bending and manipulating both surface and mass is interrelated to the final form.

Craft and history are mixed together with contemporary theory. My sculpture lives in the realm of the abstract language. Forged and shaped through tradition, while applying the principles of Chaos Theory. Formalizing the coincidental and emphasizing the random process which occurs through the creation of a cohesive object.