David Luck Sculpture and Metalwork: A Portfolio
Copper and Brass Wall Sculptures; Copper Vessels; Cast Bronze Sculpture; Cast Iron Sculpture; Sheet Metal Sculpture; Repousse; Metal Relief
"DELTA" 2022,
"Night Pieces" 2022
"Prairie Fire" 2020, Hammer Formed Copper, Brass and Patina, 27.5" by 27"
"Green Web" 2019, Hammer Formed Copper and Brass, 24" Long
"Captured Impulses", 2017
"Crested Box" 2012
"Ruins of Babylon" 2011
"Forgotten Passage" 2010
Forgotten Passage
"Hunters Moon", 2008,
Copper, Brass and Patina
27.5 inches by 59 inches
In "Hunters Moon" I chose to use only three different pattern variations as elements in a composition that builds unity out of fragmantation. I still use the grid structure, but instead of making each square different, I combine similar elements together to make the background with the moon form within it. I reinforce the round moon image by allowing it to extend outside the usual rectangular boundary of the grid shape. This makes the outline of my sculpture more interesting, yet still keeps it within the structural requirements that allow it to hang properly. Finally, I applied patina to each piece separately then assembled them so that the subtle changes in color adds another layer to the composition of "Hunters Moon".
"Hunters Moon" 2008
"Shared Rhythms"
Hammer Formed Sheet Metal Sculptures
The past, present and future are connected in the rich tapestries of my embossed, metal wall sculptures. A fabricated checkerboard grid of linked copper and brass plates provides the structural support and is the basis of my visual system. Like a large tablet of hieroglyphics, my sculpture explores the tension between the tactile and the visual. Each sculpture becomes a striking focal point that will capture everyone’s attention.
From the past, I employ hammer-forming techniques that were already well established in ancient times. Each individual sheet metal plate is embossed with a different emblematic relief. From practice and improvisation my visual language communicates with shapes, forms, textures and patterns. I weave these elements into a layered composition of intertwining visual rhythms that ripple across the sculpture’s surface. Each sculpture compliments and enhances its architectural setting with a strong presence.
From a distance, it's the overall composition and shape of the sculpture that draws the viewer’s attention. The fragmented surface responds like a kaleidoscope of shapes and shadows as the light and viewing angle change. This is just the first level of the experience. As one moves closer, the embossed detail of each section becomes clearer, revealing more embedded content. Unrelated talismanic images are often juxtaposed so that the viewer must now focus on each individual icon. Each symbol will conjure interpretations, associations and unique memories to everyone who interacts with it. On every viewing, new facets are revealed so that every encounter becomes a new and different experience.
I let contemporary images and events influence me as I chronicle and commemorate today’s visual environment to make each new sculpture unique. Stylized to blend with the quality of the sculpture, these new artifacts anchor my sculptures to the present.
Each sculpture has a timeless quality. As time goes by, the harmony of the embossed elements will continue to jog the memories and to engage the emotions of new viewers. Though rooted in the primitive pictorial language of the past, my sculptures will communicate with you in the future.