Golden Butterfly, 2022
This project was made with the process of welding and forging. This project reflects my personal struggle to be a "social butterfly" and the pressure that can sometimes come with being introverted. It also represents my love for classical music, hence the name "Golden Butterfly" after my favorite classical song by Ludovico Einaudi.
Materials: Steel rods, craft wire, gold spray paint.
Vessel, 2022
This cement vessel was another project made through a mold-making process. It started with making a model out of clay, then covering the clay with plaster. After waiting a few days, I cracked open the mold very carefully, the plaster then became the mold I would use to pour the cement into. Finally, I decorated the sculpture with gold leaf, shells, and mosaic tiles. This piece represents the Holy Trinity. God is the vessel that protects us, the purpose of the vessel being Jesus and how he pours out His life for us, and the Holy Spirit is represented by the decoration, showing a flow, similar to how the Holy Spirit flows through us.
Materials: Terracotta clay, plaster, cement, gold leaf, shells, mosaic tiles.
Chrysalis, 2021
I wanted to experiment by making a sculpture mold entirely from recycled material. I took recycled milk cartons, cereal boxes, etc... and poured my plaster mixture into the finished mold. Once I took it out of the mold, I shaped it into a chrysalis. I wanted to make a chrysalis to represent the similarities between these two growth processes and how long they take. The process of making a sculpture from recycled material and a caterpillar into a butterfly.
Materials: Various recycled items, plaster, acrylic paint.
Wood Sculpture, 2021
For this project I wanted to explore the vast realm of abstract art, so I took an ordinary object, a teapot, and created an abstract version of it. I started by taking the measurements of the teapot and made digital copies of each "slice" of the teapot, then cut them out of the wood into a series of 15 discs. I then glued them all together and smoothed and sanded them.
Materials: Wood, wood glue, mineral oil.
Caged Bird, 2020
This project represents how COVID-19 isolated us into "cages" where we were forced to stay inside, with our phones more accessible than ever. This shadow box shows the effects of social media on our mental health. The puppet hand of social media guides the golden bird (us) as it is surrounded by comparison, guilt, and the social life.
Materials: Wooden box, twine, paper, gold spray paint, Mod Podge.
© 2022 by Emily Chapin.