Paparazzi, They're Everywhere!!

8/24/08 Sunday

First thing in the morning I’m asked to do an interview with the local newspaper, (bottom photo) this is a pretty common occurrence throughout the symposium. Not only are the staff photographers and videographers always on duty, but also TV stations with officials are always sweeping through the studio and interviewing artists with the help of their interpreters. The questions always include “What is the inner most meaning of your sculpture” and (during the Olympics) “Who is your favorite athletes and teams and sports events”. Some times things might not be going so well with my project and the news team might be asking “How has your experience been working with the assistance and helpers during this years symposium”? Well sometimes it’s hard to put on the game face and take your mind off the problem, diverting your focus. Chun Hua is very perceptive in “interpreting” my mood and tuned in to the working environment around the studio, she helps me calm down and says “can you smile, I want to see your very nice smile…Please” she’s so funny, and my mood changes. It can’t help but be that way, she is always there, almost a part of me, she takes her job very seriously and stays close by at all times, not easy to do when I‘m jumping from one sculpture to the next. With the interview over, I go back into the studio and check the molds and see that the fiberglass sections are out and stacked (see photo), the molds are waste molds, in other words, not saved, something I would not do, the mold is the only representation of our clay work and if the fiberglass has a flaw …you will have second chance to make another one from a saved mold. Not the case here, it’s all or none…anyway it worked thanks to the skill of the crew and now they need sanding and to then be stacked and glued together.
Sanding the fiberglass Totem section was started after lunch, by just me, the crew is in great demand to mold other works by other artists who are waiting in line. You need to remember the fiberglass sculpture is just temporary, used during the symposium as display, then another mold is taken off of it and used in the final substitution phase of the bronze casting. Back to sanding…I know, what your thinking, he should be wearing a mask, but in my defense, the air was moist and the dust fell to the floor, ok how about this, I gave my mask to “Carven Marvin” Chapman (top photo), one of the stone carvers from St. Kitts & Nevis (he needed it more) he stands in a cloud of dust all day long.