Imagillaboration Collaborative Sculpture Project

GROUP 1 FACILITATOR

Melissa Van Sandt, Sanford Florida

www.vivalapig.com

Graduated with a BFA in sculpture at ECU in May of 05. Currently welding at American Bronze Foundry in Sanford FL. Co-founder of the Performance Iron Guild. Works primarily with organic abstractions. Prefers curves to straight lines, traditional materials to new tech., and prefers sculpting to shopping.

Deborah La Grasse, Crawfordville Florida

Mike Sluder, Sanford Florida

www.vivalapig.com

Charles Hook, Crawfordville Florida

Lance Vickery , Jacksonville Florida

Florida State University - BFA 1995 University of Kentucky - MFA 1999
Currently teaching Sculpture and Figurative art at University of North Florida.

Greg Pettengill, Mims Florida

Artist's Statement
Greg Pettengill (Cote')

I use metals and plastics in many of the sculptures I make. Repetitive patterns (i.e. tessellations) are fascinating to me and I have studied them very closely. The influence of M. C. Escher has been very strong in my work.

I am enamored with the connections between the personal and public aspects of my life. By combining my engineering skills and a sense of aesthetics, I endeavor to improve my life and community through Fine Art.

I feel there are many synergistic relationships between Fine Art and Engineering. I enjoy being on the "cutting edge", using technology to develop new ways of making things. Art is a property of the mind , and an Artist's hands are extensions of his mind. Tools simply give them more power.

Recently I started a series of sculptures I call "Junkies", gestural impressions of real life characters. They are made of scrap metal ( junk) welded together. These pieces are influenced in a large part by the work of David Smith, the godfather of "Found Art". The word "junkie" commonly means a drug addict, and these figures are in essence, a social commentary. "Bob", an approximately life size figure, is the first in the series.

Jesse Nolan, Jacksonville Florida

I've spent most of my mature life as a sculptor. In college I taught myself silversmithing and managed to make a living when I graduated selling jewelry I'd fabricated. Following this interest led me to continue studying design and sculpture which remains my passion today.

I traveled for two years across Europe and Asia, living in Iran for over a year working as an English teacher. I returned to the U.S. intent on pursuing a classical study of sculpture and was directed to the National Academy of Design in New York City. The conservative curriculum provided good training, however, the fixation on the figure encouraged at the academy felt like it would be a dead end. I got jobs as assistant to sculptors in New York, one of them, Lyman Kipp, introduced me to the world of pure abstraction. He also urged me to go to graduate school.

I went to the University of Illinois for an MFA. I broke free from all the rules of art I had learned before, making large cement sculpture balanced on springs. The images of ancient ruined civilizations I had seen in my travels inspired my work. The work I created was both somber and playful. The American city in decay (cement peeling off steel) gave me my imagery and suggested materials.

After graduate school came a dose of reality. I had to find a job. I attempted to show my big cement sculpture to gallery owners but they weren't interested. I found work in a point of purchase display shop and became a master of styrene.

I spent some time as a freelance sculptor working for the prop shops in New York City. I built the set for the opening shots of Pee Wee's Playhouse and giant chocolate bars for TV commercials.

A friend introduced me to the head of sculpting at Hasbro. The Hasbro art director gave me a sculpting job making an action figure. They liked my work and I've been busy sculpting toys ever since.

Bill Roberts, Ocala FLorida

Website

Kenneth MCMillan, Saint Augustine Florida

	GROUP 1 FACILITATOR Melissa Van Sandt, Sanford Florida www.vivalapig.com Graduated with a BFA in sculpture at ECU in May of 05. Currently welding at American Bronze Foundry in Sanford FL. Co-founder of the Performance Iron Guild. Works primarily with organic abstractions. Prefers curves to straight lines, traditional materials to new tech., and prefers sculpting to shopping.
	Deborah La Grasse, Crawfordville Florida
	Mike Sluder, Sanford Florida www.vivalapig.com
	Charles Hook, Crawfordville Florida
	Lance Vickery , Jacksonville Florida Florida State University - BFA 1995 University of Kentucky - MFA 1999 Currently teaching Sculpture and Figurative art at University of North Florida.
	Greg Pettengill, Mims Florida Artist's Statement Greg Pettengill (Cote') I use metals and plastics in many of the sculptures I make. Repetitive patterns (i.e. tessellations) are fascinating to me and I have studied them very closely. The influence of M. C. Escher has been very strong in my work. I am enamored with the connections between the personal and public aspects of my life. By combining my engineering skills and a sense of aesthetics, I endeavor to improve my life and community through Fine Art. I feel there are many synergistic relationships between Fine Art and Engineering. I enjoy being on the "cutting edge", using technology to develop new ways of making things. Art is a property of the mind , and an Artist's hands are extensions of his mind. Tools simply give them more power. Recently I started a series of sculptures I call "Junkies", gestural impressions of real life characters. They are made of scrap metal ( junk) welded together. These pieces are influenced in a large part by the work of David Smith, the godfather of "Found Art". The word "junkie" commonly means a drug addict, and these figures are in essence, a social commentary. "Bob", an approximately life size figure, is the first in the series.
	Jesse Nolan, Jacksonville Florida I've spent most of my mature life as a sculptor. In college I taught myself silversmithing and managed to make a living when I graduated selling jewelry I'd fabricated. Following this interest led me to continue studying design and sculpture which remains my passion today. I traveled for two years across Europe and Asia, living in Iran for over a year working as an English teacher. I returned to the U.S. intent on pursuing a classical study of sculpture and was directed to the National Academy of Design in New York City. The conservative curriculum provided good training, however, the fixation on the figure encouraged at the academy felt like it would be a dead end. I got jobs as assistant to sculptors in New York, one of them, Lyman Kipp, introduced me to the world of pure abstraction. He also urged me to go to graduate school. I went to the University of Illinois for an MFA. I broke free from all the rules of art I had learned before, making large cement sculpture balanced on springs. The images of ancient ruined civilizations I had seen in my travels inspired my work. The work I created was both somber and playful. The American city in decay (cement peeling off steel) gave me my imagery and suggested materials. After graduate school came a dose of reality. I had to find a job. I attempted to show my big cement sculpture to gallery owners but they weren't interested. I found work in a point of purchase display shop and became a master of styrene. I spent some time as a freelance sculptor working for the prop shops in New York City. I built the set for the opening shots of Pee Wee's Playhouse and giant chocolate bars for TV commercials. A friend introduced me to the head of sculpting at Hasbro. The Hasbro art director gave me a sculpting job making an action figure. They liked my work and I've been busy sculpting toys ever since.
	Bill Roberts, Ocala FLorida Website
	Kenneth MCMillan, Saint Augustine Florida

Group 1