Random Axial Sculpture: Introduction

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Random Axial Sculpture:

Introduction

Derek Kerslake
July, 1999.

Random Axial Sculpture. definitions
1. "designed to be placed in more than one orientation". (Kerslake)
2. "designed to be viewed from any point while rotated about an axis, selected at random, by the viewer". (Kerslake)
3. "Sculpture...which could be seen in at least three positions and be effective in all of them." Moore is referring to, "Three Way Sculpture: Points", a multi position sculpture. (Hedgecoe and Moore,501)

Working on a clay maquette, I thrust the model onto the bench much as when wedging (kneading) clay to drive out air pockets. The clay mass was altered in a fashion I could not have modeled by hand. The form was created by inertia, not by me. It was a random form created entirely by chance which could never be duplicated exactly the same way again. As I studied the form, it occurred to me, that now the sculpture could sit in two positions. But what fascinated me more was discovering the form was aesthetic; To me at least, it had beauty. Several years later, I'm still experimenting with the random creation of form and the aesthic which is created. At the same time, I'm contrasting the random forms with abstract creations of my own in the same object and then placing large versions of the object on an ad-hoc basis in the environment, and documenting the results. The placing of my random axial objects in the environment I call, Movable Monument Projects.

When I discovered the "random axial" concept, it appeared to be something completely new. I have since learned several artists, Brancusi, Deacon, Giacometti, Kiesler, Moore and others, have experimented with similar ideas.

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Derek Kerslake
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