Damon Hyldreth

damonhyldreth's picture
Neighborhood: Bayview
_____

My work stands as a reminder of the connection between man and nature, even as the world around us becomes increasingly removed from this essential and most basic union. While the metals I use are clearly man-made, the result of my collaboration with them is a blurring of the divide between nature and structure, space and form. This results in a strong symbiosis between the formal elements of my sculpture and it’s surroundings, both architectural and natural.

My work in sculpture is highly linked to the process of transformation. I consider the potential energy of my materials and lure out of them the dynamic forces of nature. I blend emotion with form, allowing the work to evolve, probing shapes, investigating their capacity to change. I seek to reveal the nature of the material, allowing it to take on a life of it's own.

I create art that challenges people’s expectations. My sculpture embodies the tension between stasis and impending movement; despite its weight and volume, or perhaps because of it, metal can dance and even suggest song. Ideally a viewer engages with my work on a subliminal level enabling them to have an experience of a uniquely personal nature.  I work with Cor-ten steel, stainless steel, bronze, and  carbon steel. These diverse metals, with their varied looks, suggest forms individualistically.