Ceramics and Metal Sculpture Workshop

Adventures from Tuesday and Wednesday. A little change in pace from all the big, posh buildings located around campus...

Metal Fabrication Shop, Foundry, Exterior Work Area, Exterior Installation Yard, & Faculty Studio
– College of Arts and Sciences

a clock I found on the wall with a little bit of artwork

I couldn't find an exact date, but through some research, we were able to find that the building for the metal shop and ceramic foundry was built between 1967 and 1970. This workshop was originally a testing facility for the Alabama Bureau of Mines. When the Bureau was disbanded by federal decree, the facilities were given to the College of Arts and Sciences to be used in their visual art department. Today, the shops are used by the sculpture department and the College of Engineering to do ceramic and metal sculptures, molds, and more.

The rooms in this hallway are allegedly "explosion-proof"
designed to blow up and inward

a photography studio upstairs for projects

The shop is an L-shaped, three chambered building with two chambers on the long body of the L connected by a one and a half story section of offices and small workrooms. The toe of the L belongs to the College of Engineering and reportedly receives little daytime use. However, the sculpture department's section is a constant bustle of activity and rush to get projects completed.

A friend of mine named Cody inspired me to investigate this building, and I'll show you why later, but I have to first say that it was much more difficult to find public information about this particular facility. Unlike Smith Hall or Reese Phifer, the shop is little more than a shed with some big toys inside, so there isn't exactly a lot of written public information about it and it's not exactly a stop on your typical campus tour. When I was talking with the construction department on campus - chasing down every lead I could come up with - they found the guy who was in charge of building in the time when it was put it. He admitted that there really wasn't even much of a written plan for it.
So what is so interesting about a cinder block barn?

Well, the toys of course!

When I walked into the studio, some of the students hard at work there looked up to acknowledge me then turned back to their work. For the first few minutes as I was looking around for someone to talk to I was largely regarded as another student. Luckily, in one of the little rooms in the middle, I found a group of people who looked moderately in charge and they directed me straight to Daniel Livingston.

Last year I took a 3D design art course that fit with my engineering curriculum and met a lot of the people in the art department. Working in the wood shop and knowing my teacher and everyone else on a first name basis was a big change of pace from the "Dr. Professor" classrooms that make up the rest of my normal schedule. In short, I hope that you won't mind if I refer to the teachers and faculty mentioned here by their first names.

work in progress...

wheels for pottery

student work ready to bisque in an annexed shed

all-new kilns they are quite excited to have

some artwork around one of the doors

Daniel, to my best knowledge, is the art director of the ceramic sculpture department and he was my primary informant during my visit. While he showed me all over the building and told me about some of its history and showed off some of the sculpture department's equipment, I got to see some really neat student and faculty artwork. True to form, the building has been quite decorated at the hands of university artists young and old alike, including this little piece outside...

This was the work of a student of Craig Wedderspoon, one of the more prominent instructors in the department. The assignment was to relate the human form to architecture, and one Richard Peak asked Craig if he could build this man into the side of the shop's southern wall. Craig told the student that as long as he did so during class time, it was alright with him.That was about eight years ago or so.
At his debut, this little guy was welcomed with warm laughter and approval by the maintenance and construction staff on campus. Since he doesn't obstruct anything, he's been allowed to stay and there he stands. I had seen him before in my commutes around campus, but one day Cody asked me if I knew anything about him and I admitted I didn't. He's kind of a cute surprise to those who find him, so if you're on campus and have some time, see if you can find him. Like the X in a treasure hunt.

While I was there, Craig told me I could come back the next day to watch them pour aluminum into the molds. I had never seen anything like it done before, so I agreed to drop by to watch.

Safety First! The students have to wear leathers, goggles, and masks for pouring.

First, they make the sculpture in wax and make a mold around the wax.
Molds are heated in this furnace to melt the wax out.

heating the oven (in the floor)

preparing the molds

The final pouring. Liquid aluminum is extremely viscous and easy to pour.
It's almost like they are pouring water! 

If you have any interest in seeing it for yourself, just drop by some time, ask for Craig, and ask him when they are pouring. He told me that anybody could come watch if they were interested. Most of the people there are sculpture artists who would probably love to talk about their work. Just be prepared to stay back a fair distance, because the liquid aluminum can get HOT!





Stats:
Cools – full of a lot of really good student and faculty artwork
Not So’s – dirty, old, dangerous equipment
Close to – Science and Engineering Complex, Gorgas Library, Biology department
Far From – almost nothing, it is located almost at the very center of campus
Beauty – 1.5
Temperature – depends
Overall – 4.3



I’m Jonathon, and this is my life.






Sources:
http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/counties/tuscaloosa/tuscaloosa.html
local faculty and staff
personal observation