When we discussed the project, my mind went straight away to a crab shell that has travelled in my car with me for a couple of years. I often look at it and admire its form and colour. I was interested to explore this wonder of nature and the engineering of a crab’s armour.
As I drew the shell from several perspectives I was struck by several details that I hadn’t noticed before- especially a couple of gorgeous curving lines. I was also struck by the symmetry of the shell and was reminded again of the incredible connections between nature and geometry.
Once I started to create my 3D design, I was drawn to treat is as a continuous line drawing, which resulted in some expressive lines and also some focus on linear mass.
As my wire shell began to take shape, I was aware of the use of negative space and considered carefully what to show and what to leave out. Throughout the sculpting process I tried to imagine the insides of the crab filling this space and was mindful of creating a 3D representation.
It felt really good to be bending the wire and watching the shape and form of the crab emerge. I built it in two stages- the top and then the bottom. The bottom is quite open, as it is in real life and I focused on the beautiful line that curves underneath the shell.
Reflecting on my artist research of David Oliveira, I see a relationship with my own exploration of negative space and also the way I explored varying the heaviness of line (linear mass) to emphasize certain areas.
I also tried to imply the amazing spaces inside the crenellations/scallops of the edge by creating loops in the wire. This was a mimicking of the repetition I observed in the shell’s natural design.
A challenge I encountered was figure out how to join the upper and lower parts of the shell. Version one was a separate piece that I hoped to hinge almost in the style of a suit of armour. But this proved unwieldy so I ended up mirroring the scalloped edge and just drawing it together in a few places- leaving the lines loose and expressive but also creating some depth from having the mirrored outlines.
At one point it occurred to me that this shell has travelled thousands of kilometres with me in my car. It sat in a little tray, perhaps designed for loose change and such but which I filled with pebbles, shells, beach glass, a fir cone, my old dog’s collar and this beautiful crab shell. It also occurred to me that this shell has a story and that perhaps there is a poem to be written.
I thought this would be the finished shell but realised that I wanted to suggest the interesting shapes on the back of the shell. So I added another loop.
This is my finished crab shell. It’s my first wire sculpture ( not counting ones I made with pipe cleaners as a child). I’m amazed how the process helped me understand the intricacies of my object- the crab shell. It was a very enjoyable and enlightening experience.
Crab (Crabster)
.
You’ve travelled with me
over mountains, through snow storms
to the grocery store, by the ocean shore
wedged in my car with rounded rocks
seashells, a fir cone
my old dog’s collar
.
You are a piece of a special place
I take with me on my journey
you speak of beauty and resilience
of armour and vulnerability
.
You bring the spirit of the Salish Sea
so strong I taste the brine
you bring the tides
the vast expanse of beach
the eternal circle of
life and death and life again
.
You sat there so long
I forgot how exquisite you are
and now I look closely
as I bend and twist wire
astonished to see sublime details
that were there all the time
.
I was born in July
never enthused to be a crab
– my mother a bull, my brother a lion-
I felt somehow ordinary
but in zooming in I see the wonder
of crustacean armoury
equal parts precise engineering
and fine design
.
In your lifetime you persisted
in the in-between land of sea and sky
scavenging on the seabed, finding safety under rocks
agile and vigilant, ancient and abundant
.
Perhaps after all this
I’ll take you back to your beach
leave to crumble and mingle with the sand
become one with salt water
.
Or perhaps I’ll settle you back in
amongst the pebbles and shells
next to Kenzie’s old collar
and we’ll drive off into the sunset
.
By Carys Owen