Wm. Chapin sculpture
M E T A L
F A B R I C A T I O N S
The following plates are of works completed in the last two years. They were products of a wide range of inspirations. Some were simply thoughts that were translated into steel, some were configurations that occurred arbitrarily, and some were merely the result of an unexpected discovery of an interesting shape or form. In every instance they ultimately tell a story, or make a gesture, or represent a motion or emotion. Certain of them are destined to be evolved into larger public sculptures, but large or small, they each have their own unique message.
The image to the left shows a sampling of recently produced steel sculpture. Various themes have been investigated and are organized in the following series:!
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• The trajectory series expresses dynamic motion through space in static linear form. These pieces express emotional situations and relationships that transcend the simple motion portrayed. !
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• The strobe series is an extension of the above. Discs are used to portray strobe photography-like effect of objects moving through space. This suggests acceleration and directional change through the relative spacing and positioning between the discs. These maquettes are designed to be reproduced at large sizes of ten feet and more.!
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• The Encounter series portrays in abstract sculptural terms the relationships and emotions between the portrayed entities. The specific nature of these relationships will likely differ based on the personal interpretation by each individual viewer.!
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• The gravity series takes advantage of the marvelous structural strength and plasticity of carbon steel to portray solid objects and forms in frozen motion. This gives the viewer the opportunity to consider where the stopped motion will finally come to rest when restarted.!
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• The Object Celebration Series looks at the wonderful complexity and beauty that simple shapes and forms can convey.!
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• The Special projects series are compositions of various sizes that address particular individual subjects. !
Wm. Chapin sculpture
These two works of The trajectory series share many similar attributes. They are made of 1-1/2” bent steel tubing, and their bases are actually cut from one solid section of a large steel beam. H o w e v e r, t h a t ’ s w h e r e t h e similarity ends, as each piece portrays very different temperaments. !
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One is bright, cheerful and glides smoothly along toward a future that promises to be the happy product of a positive frame of mind. !
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Trajectory 1! steel, painted! h96”- w36”- d14”
Trajectory 2! steel, painted, polished! h76”- w20”- d14”
The other shows a decidedly dark side, with it’s motion being jolting and aggressive. It appears inevitable that this one will succumb to its malevolent temperament, and in fact, has already begun the downward path that may be a predictor of a likely tragic fate.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Trajectory 3! steel, galvanized! h56�- w213- d11�
Trajectory 3 was inspired by watching the astounding athleticism of the 10 meter divers during the 2012 summer olympics. The guts, determination and raw talent displayed by these athletes as they jump off a 30 foot platform, perform a hysteria of spins, tucks, pikes, and other mysteries, then amazingly straighten out for a nearly splash-less entry, is simply the stuff of miracles.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
These three variants on The Encounter Series were named “Will and May, 1, 2, and 3. and were inspired by one of the pieces in the earlier Pier Series. That series had been created from magnificent salvaged cypress timbers and stringers taken from a demolished oceanfront stairway. !
Will and May 2! steel, painted! h39”- w14”- d8” Will and May 1! steel, painted! h42”- w14”- d8”
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Each piece shows a different encounter between two entities and portrays the nature of their relationship at that time. A whole range of emotions and circumstances dominance, anger, caring, intimidation, even indifference - can be read into the emotional relationship between the two. !
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Will and May 3! steel, painted! h14”- w42”- d8”
Wm. Chapin sculpture
The Saga of Will and May! steel, painted! h14”- w65”- d8”
Further, when these three works a r e b r o u g h t t o g e t h e r, t h e y become “The Saga of Will and May”. the dramatic change in their relative assertiveness speaks to the universal change that occurs between two entities as time, circumstances and inevitable change occurs. The story lines can be made to change dramatically when the sequence of these three pieces are shuffled. Their story can be extended even further in the viewer’s mind if Will and May become will and may. ! !
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Wm. Chapin sculpture
Trajectory 4 - Three Paths. This piece follows the theme of the first two works in this series. Here we see three entities starting out from identical beginnings and given equal opportunities and experiences as they rise. But at some point along the way, something unknown causes each of their journeys to take a different direction, form, and intensity. One seems to lose its incentive and drive, and begins to descend on a downward path. Another apparently encounters some unknown event or circumstance that abruptly ends its journey. However, the middle one appears to have avoided the hazards of the journey that the other two encountered, and proceeds upward in an ever-larger series of successful experiences. Our last view of this one leaves us feeling that he/it will continue onward to further achievement.
Three Paths! steel, painted,! h78”- w26”- d9”
It’s always interesting to see how seemingly similar entities, each given common genesis, often take profoundly different paths despite their equivalent launches. One more example of art mimicking life.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Trajectory: ! despite all odds! steel, painted ! h43”- w27”- d6” Trajectory: despite all odds! steel, painted ! h43”- w27”- d6”
Against all Odds 1! steel, painted,! h77”- w26”- d12”
Trajectory: ! clarity from chaos! steel, painted ! h25”- w11”- d10”
The common theme of these three pieces is the portrayal of successful efforts to overcome adversity. While the adversity is not stated literally, each sculptural story is quite clear about the nature of the threat. In one the threat comes from a companion. In another the struggle is internal. In the third the threat comes from environment. Happily, each story has a good outcome, so white seemed like the appropriate color to paint each piece.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Composition 2! steel, polished! h14”- w10”- d8”
The Bishop! steel, polished! h14”- w10”- d8”
Jamie’s Chain! steel, polished! h43”- w14”- d9”
Composition 1! steel, painted, polished! h11”- w8”- d9”
Composition 3! steel, painted! h52”- w6”- d6”
Composition 4! steel, polished! h11”- w8”- d3”
These five pieces were created from discarded heavy industrial components. They have a simple elegance that only required a little appropriate design respect to bring out their true aesthetic qualities.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Sunpower! steel, painted! h40”- w19”- d14”
Trajectory 5 - Sunpower may not immediately suggest movement, but it’s inspiration was the relative intensity of the sun on a horizontal plane as it travels through a day. The concave forms represent relative power, so the eastern sun (right) is relatively weak compared to that of the west (left)
Wm. Chapin sculpture
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2'-11"
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Blue Dancer! steel, painted! h717’-3 ”- w54””- d41”
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In the scrap yard of Atlantic Central Steel Fabricators, where I have my shop, a 20foot long discarded curved steel beam rested forlornly against the back fence. After a fair amount of computer modeling, The Blue Dancer took shape. She’s a little overweight (1200 lbs.) and tall (17’) but for all of that, she has great serenity and grace.
5'-2" 6'-8" THE DANCER
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Zero Gravity! steel, painted! h36”- w26”- d10”
Zero Gravity was the first of The Trajectory Series and was conceived to portray weightlessness using material that is the antithesis of that state. Its form suggests a floating countenance that was intended to be viewed as one passes by it. As the viewer arrives, it’s end view is seen as total solids, but by the time the viewer has reached a point perpendicular to it, the perception is one of an object comprised of a series of floating voids. This maquette will soon be in production, and will reach 16 feet tall.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
The hundreds of galvanized dock washers acquired at a marine salvage outlet have been most useful in helping portraying frozen motion in The Strobe series. Whether it is emulating acceleration, helicopter-like liftoff, a skipping stone over water, or the sense of an object breaking the sound barrier, investigations of form and motion are seemingly limitless using these simple objects.
Launch 1! steel, painted, ! h16”- w27”- d6”
Helio 1! steel, painted, ! h11”- w6”- d7”
Skip! steel, painted, ! h42”- w33”- d6”
Mach 1! steel, painted, ! h31”- w9”- d6”
Launch 2! steel, painted, ! h11”- w13”- d4”
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Framed Chain! steel, painted, ! h54”- w21”- d5”
Draped Chain! steel, painted, ! h47”- w11”- d12”
A generous gift from a friend of several feet of this exquisite antique chain has triggered considerable curiosity about where it came from, what it did before forced retirement, and what stories it could tell. Perhaps it came from a civil war ship, or perhaps it served some giant steel plant hoist. The layers of scraped-off paint suggest an early elegant service but a final modest role. Whatever its history, it speaks of oldtime workmanship, because it clearly had to be fabricated by hand, one link at a time.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
The inspiration for OCTAVE 1 & 2 came from years of observing pianos and the marvelous and complex music they produce. They owe this wonder of sound to the range of notes that can be produced with this unlikely appearing device. !
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From a design standpoint, a piano is full of contrasts, from the regularity of the keyboard contrasted with It’s sea of different size and length strings, the massive and arbitrary-appearing shape of the case contrasted with the simple regularity of its row of little black and white keys, and the thunderous roar of the lower register contrasted with the delicate whisper of its high notes. The two Octaves speak of these contrasts.!
Octave 2! steel, painted, ! h31”- w9”- d6”
Octave 1! steel, painted, ! h23”- w7”- d5”
But the real inspiration for The two Octaves was music itself. It is a miracle of man’s creativity that a succession of eight simple notes can be arranged with such an infinite variety of different cadences and order to express the whole range of human emotion. !
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OCTAVE 2 will be built out of rolled 1/2” thick carbon steel and 3/8” stainless steel cable, and will stand nearly seven feet tall.!
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The finished piece would be made durable by a hot-dipped galvanizing coating followed by a rich maroon gloss paint.!
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Fabrication is currently scheduled for February 2013.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Encounter 1! steel, painted, ! h41”- 21”- d8” Encounter 2! steel, polished, ! h17”- w9”- d5”
These two examples of The Encounter Series both abstractly portray the complex relationship between two entities. In Encounter 1 the relationship portrayed could be one between lovers or siblings, since the body language and the emotion expressed in their relative countenance is somewhat obscure. !
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The simple forms of Encounter 2 also clearly portray two entities who care deeply for each other. They are connected at their rounded base, but therein lies the dilemma. The way they are connected to one another, then how delicately balanced on the curved base they are perched, speaks to how tentative relationships can be. Only careful attention to their balance will assure their relationships’ survival.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
My material of choice now is welded steel, but I still have great affection for the elegance of timber. In this case, The Pier Series lumber came to me thanks to the demolition of a set of oceanfront stairs which had served the old Daytona Beach pier for 40 years. The cypress stringers and beams shown here were detoured to my shop as they were being transported to the dump. Their salvation was a blessing for them and for me, and have provided inspiration for their steel cousins.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
This discarded bar joist template, complete with its last fabrication still in place, as it languished in the scrapyard of the shop struck me as having great possibilities. After several attempts at uncovering its potential with the help of little cardboard maquettes, I finally struck on a tower form, with the three newly-cut pieces of the template taking the plan form of a three-pointed star. When completed it will present a clear remembrance of the launch gantries at Canaveral. It will stand just over fifteen feet tall when finished in early 2013.
Wm. Chapin Gantry! steel, painted! h15’- w4’- d3’-6”
sculpture
Solar Power was inspired by my using a magnifying glass one recent sunny day as I was working on a building design. Our current preoccupation with “green” and “energy conservation” was on my mind, so as I noticed the intense light concentration caused by the glass, I decided to create this sculptural depiction of that phenomenon.
Solar Power! steel, painted and polished, ! h19”- w26”- d8”
Wm. Chapin sculpture
The Clock of Life series considers the contrast between the passage of time as measured by the regularity of a clock and the measure of time of a person who experiences discreet and profound life events that occur as random segments of time.
Clock of Life 1! steel, painted and polished, ! h66”- w11”- d10”
Clock of Life 2! steel, painted and polished, ! h20”- w20”- d11”
Clock of Life 3! steel, painted and polished, ! h27”- w12”- d5”
Wm. Chapin sculpture
birth
time to rest success
birth
Clock of Life 1! steel, painted ! and polished, ! h66”- w11”- d10”
discoveries
career
connection
While a clock knows nothing but p r e c i s e r e g u l a r i t y, w e h u m a n s experience life in time increments of total arbitrary duration. In the end our clocks of life are different and totally unique from one of us to another. Portraying the concept of time as measured by a person’s most meaningful events gives us a fascinating portrayal of the complexity of time.
progress obligation
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Clock of Life 3! steel, ! painted and polished, ! h27�- w12�- d5�
Clock of Life 2 and 3 explore the reality of time as it relates to the ever-accelerating development of civilization. One has to be astounded by what has happened to science and technology just in our lifetimes, from space travel to the emergence of the computer as a nearly miraculous invention that has changed everything we do.!
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Clock of life 3 is a reconfiguration of the face of a clock that speaks to how the acceleration of invention compresses time as it goes by.
Clock of Life 2 addresses the development of a person or entity as it evolves from its very beginning to the time when it has reached maturity and is able to move on to the pursuit of achievement.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Advance! steel, polished ! h18”- w5”- d5”
Against all odds! steel, polished ! h14”- w18”- d5”
Mountain! welded steel ! h6”- w7”- d4”
Steel’s main allure for sculptors is its limitless ability to be shaped into any configuration that imagination calls for. But in many ways its equally limitless textural potential compounds its attraction for artists. These four pieces hint at the range of texture that steel is capable of.
Trajectory: overcome! steel, painted ! h72”- w32”- d6”
The offering! steel, polished ! h22”- w11”- d5”
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Advance! steel, polished ! h18”- w5”- d5”
Rescue! steel, galvanized ! h72”- w19”- d14”
Rescue started out as a vertical piece, but when the base and the body were first fitted to each other it became clear that this piece would work best as the portrayal of motion instead of a static life form. After considering several angles of Rescue’s perch, the final form was taken. The abstract arm seemed to be indicating the form reaching for something. The hook and chain were then added to complete the story of Rescue’s attempt to escape some sort of undesirable circumstance.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Posture plays a large role in the expressions portrayed in these two works. In the case of Rage, the way the figure leans toward it’s object of anger says a lot about it’s resolve in expressing its anger. With Trepidation, it’s anxiety about what the future holds, and its reluctance to move forward to the unknown, is signaled by it’s leaning slightly back from the tenuous perch.
Trepidation! steel, painted ! h38”- w17”- d8”
Rage! steel, painted ! h19”- w17”- d9”
Wm. Chapin sculpture
THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE: This portrays the trajectory of one who seeks enlightenment through the pursuit of education. ! Upon attaining knowledge, he is given the power to see and act beyond his original restraints of thought. This results in his being armed to “think outside the box”.!
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Painted steel! ! h10” x w10” x d10”!
Against All Odds 4! steel, painted ! h39”- w12”- d9”
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Float! steel, painted ! h29”- w16”- d9”
Wm. Chapin sculpture
WONDERMENT:
Who among us has not looked up at the sky and wondered what lies beyond our vision? We are told that there! are unknown numbers of galaxies beyond our own. Are there populations like earth’s out there? Are they on a planet in the next galaxy - or perhaps a galaxy beyond that? We will likely never know, but like the fellow in this piece, we certainly can’t help wondering.!
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Float! steel, painted ! h29”- w16”- d9”
William Chapin and Christine Chapin! Painted steel and fired clay! h10” x w10” x d10”!
Against All Odds 4! steel, painted ! h39”- w12”- d9”
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Wm. Chapin sculpture
Float! steel, painted ! h29”- w16”- d9”
Float portrays a visual lightness through its use of color and form. When seen perpendicular to it’s long side it gives the impression of rising bubbles in clear water. !
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Against All Odds 4! steel, painted ! h39”- w12”- d9”
Against All Odds is the antithesis of Float, even though it also suggests a rising movement. As the main object of the piece - the curving tube struggles to rise, it has to pass by a series of various-shaped predators untouched to avoid destruction. This it ultimately succeeds at, and finally starts turning upward toward its hardwon freedom.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
EQUILIBRIUM: Balance and gravity are taken for granted by most of us, but they command our entire lives. What if we couldn’t walk upright? How would we build tall buildings without commanding gravity? What fun would a baseball game be if the ball didn’t drop? Would we now be living on the moon if its gravity pull equaled earths? Looking at this plumb bob brings Float! all these questions forward.!
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steel, painted !
h29”- w16”d9” Painted steel and polished brass! h10” x w4” x d4”!
Against All Odds 4! steel, painted ! h39”- w12”- d9”
Wm. Chapin sculpture
sitting lady! steel, painted ! h39”- w12”- d9”
Encounter 3! steel, painted ! h39”- w12”- d9”
It is fitting to finish with two images showing how a cold, hard material like steel can have it’s inherent nature overcome through design to portray forms of softness, grace and beauty.
Wm. Chapin sculpture
The shop! at! Atlantic! Central Steel Fabricators!
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Daytona ! Beach!
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Florida
Wm. Chapin sculpture
Louis William Chapin II, FAIA, was born September 20, 1941 in Rochester, NY. He entered The University of Virginia where he was awarded a degree in Architecture in 1966. During his academic career he spent a year of study at the School of Architecture in Oxford, England. He spent the summer of 1965 in Florence and Venice, Italy, studying the sculpture of Michelangelo.! ! After graduation, Chapin entered the U.S. Army and attended Corps of Engineer Officer Candidate School where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He was subsequently assigned to Thailand, where he served as Commander of the 589th construction detachment for 18 months. He then served as Officer of Construction in charge of several large building projects at Walter Reed hospital, and upon discharge, Captain Chapin was awarded the AFIP Distinguished Service award. !
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Since 1980 Chapin has practiced architecture and created sculpture in Rochester, N.Y. and since 1996, Daytona Beach, F.L During that era, Chapin received five Rochester AIA design awards, two New York State design awards, and two projects were awarded listing on the National Register of Historic Places. !
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He then began a long and distinguished involvement with the American Institute of Architects, culminating in his being elected National President for 1993-4. This position frequently took him to Asia, Europe, and many of the U.S states. Following his presidency, he was Chairman, and then CEO, of the American Architectural Foundation, and in that position was responsible for the Octagon Museum, the nation’s oldest museum of architecture.!
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Throughout his career, Chapin has written articles on architecture and related subjects, including several for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, and a series of thirty articles for the Rochester Business Journal. He has just completed a historical novel that takes place in post-revolutionary America and is working on two more – one of which is about the great New Orleans fire of the late 1700’s and the other takes place in Manhattan (New Amsterdam) in the late 1600’s. !
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He has recently begun devoting the majority of his time to metal sculpture, which has been a continuing passion since architecture school, and currently has three large works in production. Since the beginning of the year he has been doing his sculpture in the fabrication plant of Atlantic Central Industries in Daytona, and he is very grateful to Steve Traulsen and the many helpful crew members who have assisted him.!
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L. William Chapin, II, FAIA! 315 North Atlantic Avenue! Daytona Beach, Fl. 32118!
! 386-255-4800! !
lwchapin@earthlink.net! williamchapin.com!
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Wm. Chapin sculpture
9"
9"
2'-11"
3'-3"
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3'-2"
" 11'-4
" 5'-9
70ยบ
4'-3"
5'-2" 6'-8" THE DANCER
17'
1' 1'
Wm. Chapin sculpture METAL FABRICATIONS โ ข 2013