“Quartz, Mica, Feldspar” – 2015, Polystyrene, Epoxy, Fiberglass, Steel, Enamel
“Quartz, Mica, Feldspar” is a carved sculpture made as part of a downtown public arts program in Pinedale, Wyoming, a small town surrounded by high granite peaks. The work illustrates the main minerals of granite: quartz, mica, and feldspar.
Although granite can appear grey from afar it is actually pink and whitish (feldspar and quartz) with flecked veins of brown and gold (mica).
When I began this sculpture I was immersed in studying gemstones. Cut gemstones appear perfect to the naked eye but when placed under a microscope a spellbinding world of growth patterns and inclusions appears. I found this fascinating, and while thinking about these mineral universes I began considering the structures within our local granite.
I focused on granite’s three component minerals, and arranged them in the manner of rock piles that make up the mammoth mountain peaks. It was important to me that I was not recreating an exact replica of a rock but rather pulling out its essences and magnifying its tiny universes.
To illustrate these thoughts I carved the faceted sculpture from polystyrene, reinforced it with layers of fiberglass and smooth and textured epoxy. Finally, “Quartz, Mica, Feldspar” was painted with lustrous pearlescent and metallic auto body enamel.
