SRAM the Third

Though I finished the SRAM pART Project early in the week and shipped out the piece for that project, I didn't finish the supports for the third piece until later in the week. This piece was the last I made and the largest and most awkward to fire (since my kiln isn't quite large enough for it to lay or stand unsupported).

Third SRAM sculpture finished with supports attached

This piece requires the SRAM supports to stand up. It was designed with this support in mind. I was thinking of the logical function for the bike parts and wanted them to be more functional than decorative in this piece. I made four clay bases for the support and had to alter the bike parts to fit in two of them at the right length and the correct angle.

"back" view of third SRAM sculpture

I had originally planned to make the supports removable for easier shipping, but I would have had trouble getting the red support to stay in the slot at the top if it were only epoxied to the base. I was also concerned that if I shipped the work in pieces, it would be difficult for someone to set it up correctly. I ended up epoxying all three supports to the main form and to their ceramic bases.

Third SRAM sculpture with four green pieces inside red thrown forms

Four bases that touch the ground or table makes this an unwieldy piece to transport. As I worked on the piece, more and more it seemed to grow and become more fragile with pieces sticking out at strange angles. I plan to enter it into juried show, but perhaps only ones where I can deliver the piece myself.

unfinished alternative without green parts inside red thrown forms

At the last minute of making the piece I was debating between leaving the four red circle parts open to show the orange base form and the bike parts or covering the openings with ceramic covers. I had made  several versions of the covers for this form and for the base of the gear sculpture (below). After I added the tall black bike parts, the red thrown forms no longer fit snugly on the bike parts. I considered using the extra red thrown forms to aid in attachment.

Gear SRAM base with different green "caps" on three protruding SRAM parts

I ended up asking my family for their advice and after answers from my parents and my daughter and some family friends, I added the green shapes permanently to all four thrown forms. Later my brother and sister-in-law and their friend recommended I leave the green parts off.

Gear SRAM Sculpture stacked on base

Though earlier in the week I photographed the gear SRAM sculpture, I didn't hadn't finished epoxying all the parts in correctly. I finished it later in the week and am still considering showing the base and the top section separately. Right now they simply stack and I do not plan to make their union epoxy-permanent.