Backbend TableTue Jul 19 2022
Following my apprenticeship in Quebec, I pursued some further work in Providence with Christian Thomas and Oblique Studios doing not just furniture but also some renovations, construction and some repair. During this period, I decided to spend a weekend in Salem, NY at Salem Art Works because I heard they were doing an aluminum pour. So I quickly signed up and drove upstate with some sketches and my tent. Once I arrived, I pitched the tent on their grounds and slept under the stars. The next day, I met some of the most
talented foundry artists and whipped up a quick model out of foam after learning how the casting would go down. We then mixed up the silica sand, which begins almost like moon sand but when left overnight, it becomes dense and hard like concrete. So I encased my model and left it overnight. The next day, I removed the model, torched the negative that it left, covered it and drilled holes in the top for pouring. We then waited hours for the foundry to reach temperature and then finally it was my turn to pour so I suited up in head to toe leather and poured molten aluminum into each hole. After it cooled, I broke the mold and witnessed my backbend form. I finished it by
grinding the sharp ends down and using a friend’s CNC to drill some basic joints in the top so that i could swivel but still be taken apart. It remains my hefty bedside table.