pal u str i s 2 0 1 1
Madness Metal By Ashley Wahl
Photographs by Hannah Sharpe
M
ike Roig picked up welding as an afterthought. “It was one of the last techniques I learned as I was leaving school,” says the life-long artist. Judging from the looks of his yard — metal structures sprouting like flowering trees and shrubs — a little tinkering went a long way. “Eventually I woke up to the fact that the little sculptures I would make were actually going out and making homes, whereas the silk screens, drawings, and paintings were all piling up in drawers.” Mike’s metal sculptures, crafted from odd scraps of recycled metal, add an air of playful ingenuity to every site they grace. The campus of Sandhills Community College is home to three: Axis of Agape, Bob Dylan’s Oracle, and Three Ring Cirrus. “My wife writes children’s books,” the sculptor says. “If I get stuck for naming one of my pieces, I can always count on her for help.” For Mike, the limitations of his medium of choice are nearly as intriguing as its malleability. “Metal is a great material,” says Mike. “Before you know how to manipulate it, metal doesn’t seem like it’s all that open to suggestions. But then you learn a few techniques,” he says, “and discover that it’s an incredibly suggestible material.” Rust, pitting, and other such blemishes don’t deter, Mike assures. “The thing about finding metal in a scrap yard rather than starting out with pristine new metal is the surface texture that comes with metal that’s been aged,” says Mike. “A little bit of pitting to the surface doesn’t interfere with its ability to become a substantial piece of sculpture.” “Plus,” Mike adds, “imperfections add a sense of history.” Although not all of Mike’s metal works are kinetic, several feature elements that spin via wind. Abstract birds — a theme that continues to weave through Mike’s art — are whimsy in motion. “I never knew exactly why I was so drawn to birds,” Mike admits, adding that Joseph Campbell once called them “universal symbols of the spirit.” Whether or not he subconsciously chose to incorporate birds into his work to represent a human spirit that transcends both time and culture, it’s clear his spirit is free. “I think it’s important that everybody have access to some kind of idea of creativity, and the freedom that comes from that,” Mike muses. “We’re not all artists, but we all have some kind of passion and some kind of creativity. What art is supposed to do is simply be that kind of inspiration for somebody else.” By using junkyard treasures to create something figurative (or, in many cases completely abstract), Mike hopes to inspire others to look at the world through new eyes. “I’d like for my work to give a spark to somebody else’s imagination,” he says, “and on a personal note, I’d just like to see what wild, big, crazy things I can invent.” Mike Roig is one of several sculptors whose Location: Steed Hall, Sandhills work will be displayed in Community College the horticultural gardens Cost: Free, donations accepted What: Tour of Steeds Hall and on the campus of Sandhills Phone: (910) 695-3882 Awards Ceremony Community College during More Info: www.mooreart.org or Date: Sunday, March 27 the Palustris Festival. “Art in the www.palustrisfestival.com Time: 1 3 p.m. (Awards ceremoGardens” will feature sculpture from all over ny at 2:30 p.m.) North Carolina and will be on display from March 24 through May 25. PS
Palustris Festival
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 2011
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