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Julie Mihalisin and Philip Walling |
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Images of Selected Sculptures | |
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Creative Applications | |
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Commissions | |
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Contact Information | |
| "Collaborative
Effort" (Detail) ©1997 Glass, Concrete and Metal |
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|
|
Julie Mihalisin and Philip Walling |
|
Images of Selected Sculptures | |
|
Creative Applications | |
|
Commissions | |
|
|
Contact Information | |
| "Collaborative
Effort" (Detail) ©1997 Glass, Concrete and Metal |
||
Though non-objective, the mixed-media art
of Julie Mihalisin and Philip Walling feels personal. The interrelationships of
the materials combined with the work’s references to time and space bring
artwork and viewer emotionally closer. Whether it is the physical relationship
it creates as architectural art, or the more allusive reference to time, when
such common materials are caught in the act of collaboration, we are given an
opportunity to view them as we view life, from whatever perspective we choose.
These wall-mounted mixed-media sculptures throw a wrench into
conventional modes of categorization by utilizing materials and processes that
cross-reference architecture, art and craft. Often referred to as architectural
art, they draw upon a smattering of
diverse techniques from basketry to building foundations. Traditional
metalworking and fiber techniques are used to create the metal armatures. The
glass is formed with the slumping process, which allows it to behave naturally
(as a liquid), and then stop at a precise moment of interaction. The concrete
contains the glass and metal in cast geometric forms. Repetition of the elements
creates a "freeze-frame" effect, while adding to the industrial quality of the casting
process. Specific moments, organized in rigid formation, create a story.
Architectural art is an appropriate
description of Julie Mihalisin and PhilipWalling's installations because the space that they
occupy becomes part of the piece, as elements wrap around walls and wander down
corridors. However, these sculptures also posses an undeniably human side. Symbolic of the abstract, physical and interpersonal relationships we
experience as human beings, their non-objectivity allows for neutrality, while
the materials and forms offer personal references that become intriguingly
difficult to place. Despite their complexity they remain serene. Whether large
installations or single element sculptures, this is mixed-media art of
complimentary contradictions.
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Photography Credit: "Collaborative Effort" by
Roger Schreiber; all other images by Douglas Yaple