soutendijk
Wire Wall Art by Bart Soutendijk
I’ve been making abbreviated line
drawings of just about any subject on just about any surface in just about any
medium since I can remember. I started
using wire in 1972 and have been making Wire Wall Murals on a commission basis ever
since.
A Wire Wall Mural is the final step in a simplification process that starts
with a photograph or group of photographs. I make and remake the line drawing
to emphasize only the essence of the subject.
I ask, myself: "What is it about this image that makes it unique." Then I strip away the lines that are not
required to convey that quality. Finally, like the poet who reviews every word,
I re-examine every turn and curve as I bend the wire into that image -- a large
line drawing in space. The final installation, a solid line in front of a
moving shadow, has scale enough to suit a large space without dominating the
room.
After I make a wire wall sculpture I hang it up and
"live with it" for a while. Sometimes I cut away additional material,
add more, or change bends before I consider the sculpture ready for a home, gallery,
or museum. I say: Nothing is permanent, as long as you have pliers.
See more of my work at: