UNTITLED-09.06.19 + THE DOOM-06.09.11
JOE RICHÉ
PROJECT PROFILE:
Artist: Joe Riché
Title: Untitled- 09.06.19 and The Doom-06.09.11
Materials: Carbon Steel, Catalyzed Paint Coating
Fabrication + Installation: Demiurge
Original Exhibition: June 2013: Republic Plaza, 17th St and Tremont Denver, Colorado
Current Exhibition: Arvada Center for the Arts, UNBOUND: Sculpture in the Field, Through March 2017
Dimensions: 144”h x 120”w x 96”d
Untitled-09.06.19 and The Doom-06.09.11, evolved from Riche’s previous work with assemblages of geometric shapes, such as Trade Deficit. These pieces trade the regularized rectangular volumes of the shipping containers in Trade Deficit for a more variegated and complex assemblage of randomized polygons. These small forms aggregate to form a basic shape which is then sculpted through subtraction into a sculptural form. This piece inverts the previous dichotomy between ordered modules and chaotic form by using randomized chaotic modules to create a larger balanced composition. As the viewer moves around and past each piece on the streetscape, the perception of each sculpture’s composition changes due to its manifold shape and complex arrangement, giving the viewer alternating glimpses of chaos and order as different elements of the sculpture are revealed.
Untitled - 09.06.19 and The Doom - 09.06.11 are composed of Carbon Steel with a catalyzed two part epoxy paint in Pure White to accentuate the sharp edges and dramatic shadows cast by the irregular polygonal forms. These two pieces were designed and built over the course of three weeks in June of 2013 in preparation for a one year exhibition at Republic Plaza - an incredibly ambitious timeline for a project of this scale.
The design of these pieces relied heavily on algorithmic design and digital fabrication technologies. The irregular polygonal forms are based on an algorithmic equation developed by Georgy Voronoy, a Ukrainian mathematician to describe cell division in organic assemblages. This algorithm was used to generated the basic subdivision of space that can be seen in the finished sculptures. From these rough forms, Riché subtractively “carved” back the polygonal cells until the sculpture was left as an abstracted shape composed only of random polygons.
This form was prepared for fabrication by ensuring that each facet was completely flat and could be fabricated using the tools available to us. Each piece was labelled and indexed for assembly, then nested onto a sheet layout in a way that would enable us to produce these pieces using our metal shear. The layouts were printed on our large format plotter and the lines transferred via scribe to sheets of 16 gauge carbon steel, and sheared to create individual parts.
The exhibition has attracted significant attention, and Joe Riché was featured in local independent newspaper, Westword’s story on the top 100 creatives in Colorado, driving visitors to the site to experience these unique pieces.