sue clancy – artist

My one-person fine art exhibit at the Caplan Art Designs Gallery is opening Oct 3 from 6 to 8pm and the exhibit will run throughout October. I’ll admit that of all my new artworks the one mentioned in this post is the one I’m most looking forward to seeing people playing with during the reception. I look forward  to seeing people playing with my Eggheads too… but this post is about my picture puzzle interactive sculpture titled “Around The Block”.

All of the sculptures in my exhibit are examples of kinetic art – they rely upon the physical movements of the viewer in order to perceive my artwork.

For example: Around The Block is the overall title for a picture puzzle set of blocks I’ve created that has 6 different puzzle images that the viewer can physically put together.

Each puzzle image has 16 blocks – 4 across and 4 down – that form the puzzle image. While each puzzle image isn’t complicated- it’s not easy either. The viewer has to look closely at colors and shapes as well as the content of each block in order to complete the puzzle.

The idiom “around the block” refers to having had experience. Each of the puzzle images refer to specific experiences like being the “new kid on the block” or having had a “blockbuster” event or starting “off the blocks” or feeling “chock-a-block” or like a “blockhead” or being a “chip off the block”. I chose to create a picture puzzle because our life experiences are puzzles that we put together in our minds.

The overall frame is wood, 12.5 inches square, and holds the sixteen 2.5 inch solid wood blocks that I painted with acrylic paint. The blocks can be taken out and arranged so that it displays the chosen picture. The frame allows you to place it upright on a shelf, lay it on a table or hang it on a wall.

I asked a local art substrate company to make the wood puzzle according to my concept.  Matt McCalmont did an amazing job!

Here’s a look at “Around the Block” from an angle so you can see the depths and quality of it.

There are holes in the backboard so you can get the puzzle blocks out of the frame.

So you can sense the scale of the blocks

Here below are all of the 6 images.

Here’s a short video look.

Heres a full video looking at all of the sides.

Thanks for being here with me as I’ve worked toward this exhibit!