Alternate Paths

Al Honig & Mike McCollum

Al Honig has been described as a “lifelong hoarder of wonderful things”; treasures that are a carefully curated to be included in his sculptural constructions.

His works are not assemblages but constructions using objects of many different materials which he subtly changes to make them fit together to form a single sculpture. Each piece is a part of the whole.

His selection of the objects is determined by design, condition, and price. Most of his items come from scrapyards and flea markets, usually the last stop before meltdown. His intent is to use these objects when their utilitarian sense is gone and only the aesthetic sense is left. At that point he uses them to make a sculpture.

About Mike McCollum’s work at Liberty Arts

I am enamored with wood because of the time it takes to grow, its relative strength, malibility, and its grain (figure). Cutting into a log or a billit of wood reveals figure that is not always evident from its surface.  Some great figure can come with cracks and rot.  I originally began filling the cracks with clear resin progresssing to colored resin. I then realized instead of “repairing” diseased and cracked wood, the wood with its colored resin parts could become components for sculptures.  I then began combining the resin and wood with drawing. Exploring Wood, Resin, and Drawing in 2-D and 3-D is an attempt to keep me surprised– ‘arriving at’ as opposed to ‘aiming at.’

Landscapes ~ The abstract landscapes are from wood (sticks, branches, found wood objects) and colored resin.  I invite viewers to experience landscape through the use of color and placement of found and manipulated objects. The layering of colors and objects in the work relates to the layers of earth, rock and water that we see in nature.

Cabinets ~ I am interested in the ritual uses of furniture, particularly cabinets. The cabinet format, with its drawers and hidden spaces that might hide closely guarded secrets/object, is a fascinating path to investigate. I enjoy the tension between functionality and form in space. I see them as sculpture.

Drawings ~ These works are drawings encapsulated in epoxy resin.  My interest is in the relationships between the “stars” of art history, e.g., skulls, skeletons, Mona Lisa, and the knots that bind them together.  It is similar to amber embedding bits of history.

I began with flat work graduating to totem and pyramid shapes for added inherant surface.  My current work with cubes will be part of the exhibit.  I see every surface as a blank canvas.