AP Artist Spotlight: Henry Hobson

Ever since lower school, I’ve always enjoyed art classes. Whether it was making clay angels with Mrs. Rumplehammer or making men out of wire with Mrs. Purdy, I’ve always appreciated any art class. Over the past four years, I’ve been able to explore different types of materials that come together to make something entirely different. Having the opportunity to learn about various types of drills, saws, and any machine imaginable and their applications will be an experience I’ll cherish forever.

ESD

Sculpture has taught me to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into every handmade piece of art because even the simplest-looking designs can take days of planning. While some art pieces may seem simple and convoluted, every detail, in reality, has been planned by the artist. Working in 3D art was especially appealing to me because it allowed me to visualize what I was making and altering. Since I was a kid, I thought I would not be able to enjoy art because I couldn’t draw, so finding and enjoying sculpture was a great surprise. My AP 3D art portfolio mainly focused on kinetic sculpture. The concept of moving art struck me as something interesting because I had always envisioned art as motionless and 2D. This past year, I’ve been able to use ice molds and spinning tops cut with a lathe in order to explore and develop my kinetic art.

Walking into sculpture always greets me with a sigh of relief. Having the chance to work closely with my peers and get an insight into their own artistic visions will be something I’ll appreciate going forward in life. I’m so thankful to have been given the opportunity to work within such a great Sculpture program. Thank you, Mr. Larsen, for creating such a great environment for everyone to learn about their own artistic style and for bringing something unique out of everyone.

Henry’s work places us in tenuous balance. As viewers we are brought to the very end of a pendulum, the teetering edge of a tower, to the moment before either movement or collapse.

Dane Larsen, AP Sculpture Teacher

Twisted Up

This is one of my junior year pieces. I like it because you can orient it in many different ways so that you can get different perspectives. I used flux to oxidize the copper and then soldered the joints to seal it.

Plaster Form

For this piece, I mixed plaster with a fiber that had been extracted from twine. I covered a kick-ball with the combination until a shell had been formed. Then, I removed the kick-ball and painted the inside of each shell. I really like this piece because of the height it has and the contrasting colors.

Parallel

For this piece, I created two parallel planes and created notches that were equidistant. The symmetry of the notches allowed both planes to parallel to each other. I really like the concept behind this piece and hope to one day paint it and finish it.

3D-Printed Cube

I printed this my freshman year. I enjoyed learning how to use modern technology for sculpture.

Dangling

This was my long senior year piece. I created a mold of a man using clay and then, using silicone, created a mold of him. Using resin and various colors of urethane, I created three molds which “dangle” from the ceiling.

Fish

I carved this out of stone my freshman year. I really like how it turned out. While this project was tedious it was definitely fun to look at a rock and create something out of it.

You may also be interested in —