Chris Bathgate: Machinist Sculptor

            It is safe to say that it would be quite impossible to execute my sculptural designs without carefully planning each one. Developing a detailed and accurate drawing is a key part of my planning process. During the development of a sculpture, the drawing functions both as a platform for refining the visual forms within the work and as a digital reference to calculate machining tolerances and plan logistics for the actual fabrication of the piece. But being an artist that is concerned with taking small elements surrounding one’s craft and elevating them to a more conceptual level, I thought necessary to also explore the possibilities schematics presented as a means of expression.

In pursuing that goal, the drawings have become a way to tell a story about each of the sculptures that they represent. The engineering of a work, the push and pull of aesthetic choices and logistical constraints is an integral part of what moves me as a sculptor. However, it is an aspect of my work that is largely hidden from view in the finished piece. The drawings serve as a way to bridge the gap between the pure conception of the sculpture with the engineering and execution of the design. They illustrate the relationship between the impossible ideal and the workmanship that created the finished object. It memorializes a part of what is fundamental to my way of thinking about art that might otherwise be lost.

To read more on the evolution of the Drawings, click the link Here