Page 53 - BSAM 2016 Q2

Working in metal, stone, glass and wood, this self-taught artist is inspired by the simplicity of form and expression found in primitive art such as the glyphs and cave paintings of America’s southwest. His sculptures are a celebration of line and movement, simple, unadorned but dynamic, full of feeling and emotion.
BCI talked with Rick Gregg at his studio recently and asked him about his role in the creation of e Artisan Cup trophy.
BCI: How did you become involved with e Artisans Cup?
RG: Ryan Neil found me on the Internet and contacted me. We met and he described the project. He wanted two trophies, a permanent trophy for e Artisans Cup and take-home trophies for the winners. Ryan showed me a concave cutter and said, “Anyone who knows bonsai, knows this tool.” A er a quick sketch, the take-home trophy took shape and was approved.
BCI: Apart from the wooden base, it looks like you made this sculpture by forging. How was the permanent trophy di erent?
RG: Yes, the take home trophy was forged, which means mostly beating and shaping hot metal with a hammer and other tools or dies. Designing the permanent trophy was a longer process. A er thinking about the landscape of the Northwest, the trees, the water, and the mountains, I made numerous sketches and presented six possibilities. A er we discussed the options, one was chosen for further development.
BCI: What did you know about bonsai before Ryan contacted you?
RG: I saw bonsai for the rst time at a county fair in San Diego when I was 15 years old. Although I never pursued bonsai, it was an experience that has stayed with me for over ve decades. I love linear forms so I have always been interested in trees.
BCI: Can you tell us a little about how you made e Artisan Cup trophy?
RG: When I was drawing, I was looking for an expression of a sweeping tree, simple and stylized. It was when I added the second trunk that I got the feeling I was a er. Creating a cloud-like canopy on the tree also proved di cult. By breaking the canopy into several shapes, the wind-swept tree came to life. en came the fabrication. First, I made an exo- skeleton of the trunks with light steel rod to which I carefully tack-welded forged panels of steel. en with an oxy-acetylene welding process, I welded the panels together and smoothed out the surfaces to make them seamless.
BCI: How did you make the craggy cli on which the tree is perched?
RG: e base was tough. I made three bases before I got the look I wanted. I start with a wire mesh form to which I add my concrete mix that has a speci c color and texture. I apply it with a painter’s spatula and work it until I get right.
Rick did get it right. e Artisans Cup Trophy expresses what theartisanscup.com de- scribes as the modern American bonsai aesthetic, “...the unbridled, natural form of the tree as it appears in the wild through asymmetry and dynamic movement.”
e Artisans Cup has created a watershed moment in American bonsai, a moment that is sure to endure because e Artisans Cup website o ers retrospective passes to the exhibit. Purchase a pass and experience the movement with photos and movies of the event, and audio commentary on every bonsai in the exhibit by the team of international judges. As the momentum builds for the next Artisans Cup, and the movement grows internationally with an exhibit planned for Sydney, Australia in 2020, so too will bonsai grow as a true art form. And e Artisans Cup Trophy will come to symbolize Ryan Neil’s deep commitment to the art of bonsai and the global recognition it deserves.
Ryan Neil showed me a concave cutter and said, “Anyone who knows bonsai, knows this tool.”
The Artisan Cup Trophy [take home], 2015, by Rick Gregg. Forged steel, with walnut base. 18” h
Below; More Sculptures by Rick Gregg can be viewed at www.rickgreggstudio.com
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