Nick Trompeter

Granum Harena (A Grain of Sand)

by: Nicholas Trompeter

Semester: Fall 2012
Class: Beginning Sculpture
Assignment: Create a sculpture using wood

This was my final assignment for this class and my original idea for the piece was to make something similar to a Rubik's Cube-with blocks missing from it-standing on a corner in a triangular piece of stone. As I continued to develop the idea, I decided that instead of using an additive method of gluing the same size 1-inch blocks together, I would cut the missing blocks out of a single piece of wood. This proved difficult in that I wouldn't be able to carve out certain pieces. The final decision was to create a similar puzzle box with the same 3x3x3 block dimensions as a Rubik's Cube. This design would be created from two pieces of wood carved in such a way that, when put together and set on a corner, would stand without falling apart. After the two blocks were carved, I realized there was a valley where a third piece could be set. Instead of carving a third piece of wood, I decided to use a piece of 1-inch steel square tubing cut and welded to fit into that groove in the box. Then, I noticed the center was still hollow. I wanted to use another type of material for this, something more mysterious since it would be a single block that wouldn't be seen when the piece is all together. I decided on using glass and created a 1-inch box out of pieces of glass tile and sandblasted them so that the viewer couldn't see into it. Finally, I pick out a piece of red limestone to use as the base and carved out the inverted triangular pyramid in which the box could set. After it was all finished, the piece was not glued together as it is meant to be taken out of its setting, rearranged, put back together, and balanced in any way that the viewer can figure.