Kai Wolter

Profile Information:

Where do you live ? City, State and Country

Santa FE, NM

Place of Work ? Example: Studio, College, Gallery, Museum, ...)

Kaiwerx studio

I am a .... Example: Student, Maker, Educator, etc.

As a maker my first interest is process. The drive to make objects is to experience the growth and transformation of material into form. Explorations in the morphology of organic form and a direct connection to the material through metalworking are the vehicles for the genesis of form.

My work is grounded in organic form derived from natural history and the sciences, particularly biology and it’s contemporary influences on technology and culture. The work is permeated by a sensibility and an aesthetic that emphasizes the symbolism of natural phenomena and dichotomies such as the beautiful and grotesque. A major portion of Western science is devoted to the naming, ordering and classifying of things that have been discovered. Within this taxonomy there are structures that have been deemed strange, anomalous or fantastic. These unfamiliar, sometimes frightening objects are put on display in curiosity cabinets and museums for the viewing public. The abstracted and biomorphic forms were created as a response to the exploration of these themes.

The forms are created by the deformation and compression of a membrane (sheet metal) into volumetric form. The topological transformation of the membrane is created through the direct process of hammering. Pattern development is the foundation for the generation of form. These patterns evolve from a flat plane into configurations that visually correspond and resonate with organic structures. The techniques used to create these objects are traditional methods of hammer forming such as sinking, raising and chasing/repousse. The sheet metal is formed over anvils, metal and wood stakes, and hammering bags. My hands and even feet are used to manipulate the metal into form. Often there is an accompanying architecture such as a steel stand or a chair.

My intent is to create objects through process, intuition and a direct relationship with material that evoke the notion and mystery of wonder. Not fully abstract these forms evoke biomorphic, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic references. Empirical analysis of the natural world and a reverence for the beauty of organic form and structure are the inspiration for this work.

Your website, DIRECT flickr or DIRECT facebook links where your work can be seen.

http://kaiwerx.com

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