Seattle-based artist John L’esperance recently created a series of mixed-media sculptures assembled from reclaimed Foundry Patterns. L’esperance describes himself as “an artist in the Outsider tradition, unschooled and self-trained, utilizing found objects and reclaimed materials to construct multi-dimensional, mixed media art pieces that offer a fresh new vernacular. My work seldom springs from an intentional, well thought out plan. My creative process is deeply intuitive. I use objects that have aged and weathered…ones adorned with the well-worn patina of use…because these things speak to me and beg to be redeemed. I receive intuitive insights into what seemingly disparate objects are meant to become: a process that often takes me outside the boundaries of ordinary reality, placing me in a slightly altered state where I’m free to create from inside a kind of unrestrained magical reality.”
The foundry patterns were salvaged late last year from the Acrowood Foundry in Everett and date back to the late 1800’s. The variety within the patterns lend themselves to a wide range of projects, as demonstrated in L’esperance’s work as well as our recent Foundry Pattern Art + Design Competition.
To view more of L’esperance’s mixed media scupltures, check out his website: www.johnlesperance.com
Interested in creating your own foundry pattern project? View our selection of tracked foundry patterns here as well as tips and tricks for working with the material on our blog.
