Progress and Lots of It

Ha, that goes with out saying. Obviously I have been too busy to even update my blogs. It has been a crazy semester so far! Very busy with many projects and all is going well.

First, Homes for Everyone is finally finished. The 16' square pad will be poured next week and hopefully by the 18th or 19th of October they will be up and bolted in place. Right now they sit all shiny and finished just waiting to go.

Homes for Everyone, 2012 copywrite, Jennifer Torres

Homes for Everyone, 2012 copywrite, Jennifer Torres

Next, I have been working on a few other works, including one for the annual Train Depot Show. The theme for this year was Toy. It stumped me at first, I don't have kids and really didn't want to do anything related to childhood or anyone's standard expectation for a toy. I wanted to do a toy for me, something I could play with. After much consideration the idea came rather naturally. I have been doing mostly commissions recently and with that type of work it is pretty prescribed. You make a proposal, it's approved, you make a model, get your funding and do what you said you would do. Not much room for playing. For me I was needing something that would enable me to let go, break loose of all the restrictions, so I made a piece that had slot connections and could be endlessly reconfigured to play with. At the show opening last night, it most certainly was being played with. It's kind of cool (and annoying) to see folks playing with the work and changing it up.

Toy- Storm Configuration, detail, copywrite Jennifer Torres 2012

Toy- Storm Configuration, detail, copywrite Jennifer Torres 2012

Toy- Storm Configuration, 2012, aluminum, copywrite Jennifer Torres 2012

Also, earlier in the semester we had Christo come to campus to do a talk. It was huge fun and he ended up at the 3D Arts building with us just hanging out for about an hour before the lecture was to begin. He was fun to talk to, had lots of questions about our program and the students and generally was laid back and cool. He talked about a couple of his current monumental artworks in progress and all the issues associated with such giant works of art. The big lecture hall on campus was full and for days after everyone was still talking about it. I am so honored to have been a part of it all and that the College of Arts and Letters at USM was able to fund the lecture.

I have plenty more I could talk about but that's all for now, I still have two more blogs to update...