Logarithmus, 2024, integrally pigmented hand cast concrete, 83 21.5 x 16.5 inches, with aluminum base 24 x 24 x 1.5 inches.
Logarithmus: To Aid in Navigating the Waters, 2024, integrally pigmented hand cast concrete, Hemlock timber, 13.5 x 13 x 10 inches.
Logarithumus: Speed Test, 2024, integrally pigmented hand cast concrete, Pine timber, 78 x 18 x 18 inches.
Log Form = Paired and Offset Quadrants Enclosed with Removable Walls, 2022-2024, concrete and wood, 49 x 21.5 x 16.5 inches
The origin of the word “log” in terms of recording information originated with the Chip Log, an early instrument for gauging nautical speed. * While I had always associated logging with recording past events, this tool focused on the future rather than on the past, providing insights into journeys across space and time, helping us reckon our direction and speed so we could correct them if needed. This device, in both its form and purpose, is the anchor of this family of objects, Logarithmus, that emphasizes forward navigation.
The geometry of a circle's quadrant, derived from the chip log construction, and the concepts and techniques of path measurement and guidance, influence these sculptures. These forms evolved through experiments with pairing two quadrants and then opening the resulting shape to reveal an inner space. This shape, somewhat vulnerable due to its accessible interior, represents my steps towards considering the path forward, with openness to the unknowable. With the guarantee of detours and missteps, my goal is to just fail in the right direction.
*The Chip Log consisted of a quarter-circle, or quadrant, of a wood log (the chip) attached to a rope reel (the log line) with evenly spaced knots. To gauge a vessel's speed, navigators would throw the chip into the water, allowing the log line to unspool. Speed was calculated by counting the knots released over a predetermined time interval, as measured by a timer. This practice led to the term "knots," still signifying nautical miles per hour today.