For my project (fig. 1), I was inspired by the ways in which wood can be manipulated to look smooth and take on organic shapes. As we were looking at wood in class, I immediately thought of the challenge of making the wood we were given look like the smooth, bronze sculptures of Brancusi, especially his La muse endormie.
I wanted to create something that looked natural and emphasized the wood’s natural qualities, especially its fine grain, color, and bark. So, I designed a face that would utilize the bark as hair, have enhanced color with natural staining, and an overall soft appearance, that would be very different from the hard edges created by the saw. I used only non-power tools; that, combined with my intensive use of sanding, really caused me to feel that I got to “know” the wood.
I also explored the idea of a reliquary as a non-religious object. After seeing them more broadly as a place to house objects that are significant for one reason or another or have a story to tell, I thought about what I have that I would deem worthy of housing in a reliquary. I immediately thought about the things that have the most sentimental value to me. Christianity is not a part of my life, so I instead put my faith, trust, and love in those around me.
For this reason, the two most sentimental things I own are a ring given to my grandmother by my grandfather when they were in high school that I never take off and a star necklace given to me by my great-grandmother that I have to take off at night because its edges are so sharp. This necklace is meant to commemorate my great-grandfather who had passed away a few years earlier. Therefore, I decided that the mouth of the reliquary could be deeper and shaped to house this necklace (fig. 2).
I began by using a handsaw, I cut the wood so that it took the general shape of a face, leaving the bark (fig. 3). I then sanded the edges so it more closely resembled a soft face rather than a geometric form (fig. 4). From there, I drew out a plan for the facial features very lightly and began to use a wide chisel to carve out the indents of the human face (fig. 5 & 6). I planned to making the face almost rounded, and the features very high-relief, but learned that slightly dull chisels and sandpaper simply did not have this capability. Also, my piece of wood cracked, so I had to be very careful not to further damage the wood.
My face, therefore, is low-relief, with a more pronounced cheekbone, brow, and nose. I sanded these places to rid the work of the chisel marks so that it looked more natural. I used a chisel to carve as deep as I could, and then used a wood burner to darken the mouth and to create the lips and other facial features (fig. 7). I liked the serenity of the closed eyes, because this is something I will use while I am sleeping.
Then, I used a mixture of instant coffee, strawberries, and raspberries to dye the wood (fig. 8 and fig. 9). I tested the different concentrations on the back (fig. 10). It turned out much lighter than I had planned because I did not realize how much any moisture, even water, alters the color of wood since it is so light and absorbent (fig. 11).
