K V Abbott
Painter - Sculptor - Object Maker
Friday, April 14, 2023
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Saturday, December 10, 2022
Sunday, January 16, 2022
"Homage"
I was honored to be invited to a short residency at Stone Walls, home of the
David Hayes Sculpture Fields in Coventry Ct. in August of 2021. My second visit
to the home and studio of the late modern master David Hayes.
http://www.davidhayes.com/
I met David Hayes in 2008 in Syracuse, NY. He had a
citywide multi piece exhibition. Twenty some sculptures installed throughout the
city on a walking tour beginning at the Everson Museum and ending in the near
west side. I visited the exhibition several times during that year and jumped at
the chance to hear him speak when he offered a talk about his life and work. It
was after his lecture that I had a warm and inspiring visit with him.
Sadly Mr.Hayes passed in 2013.
In a chance meeting several years later I met his son John
in Florida and have since become friends. Through John I have come to know older
brother David and sister Mary. This frienship with the family has given me an
even greater appreciation for the artist. His commitment to his craft. His
dedication and hard work. The challenges that he faced as an artist and family
man. This has been and continues to be a rewarding and inspiring relationship.
I was offered an extremely unique opportunity to sift through the now dust and
dirt covered outdoor work space where Mr. Hayes cut steel. I was asked to take
anything small that I wished, and to make a sculpture or two or three.
"Homage" is the second sculpture completed with this material gleaned from the grounds.
This work is composed of four seperate pieces of steel and arranged in a manner
as true to the artist's aesthetic as I could imagine. I also made an effort to
leave each piece as close to way I found them, with minimal grinding or
alteration as reasonable. This was so as to leave as much of the hand of the
master live on in this sculpture. I did however add an element that was my own.
The round circular piece was something I had and included so as to add my own
touch to the piece. It also serves as a nod to David Smith, (American sculptor
1906 - 1965)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Smith_(sculptor).
David Smith and David Hayes met at the University of Indiana when Smith was teaching and
Hayes was a graduate student. David Hayes would subsequently visit Bolton
Landing summers to work with Smith and learn and refine his welding skills. This
sculpture is a tribute to these two men. Their work and dedication to advancing
modern art in their lifetimes.
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Julia
I was honored to be the first resident artist at the David Hayes Sculpture Fields in Coventry, Ct. this past August. Certainly a highlight of 2021.
The David Hayes Art Foundation.
“Julia,” 2021, by Kevin Abbott.
Under the aegis of the David Hayes Art Foundation, the sculptor Kevin Abbott created several small sculptures from cast-offs left by David Hayes and harvested from his studio floor. Kevin Abbott is the inaugural participant of a mini summer residency on the grounds of the David Hayes Sculpture Fields.
Welded steel cast-offs coated with protective varnish.
#kvabbott, #davidhayes, #coventryct., #steelsculpture, #sculpturefields, #residentartist, #kevinabbottart
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Sunday, February 21, 2021
"Temple"
This piece evokes an ancient/future dystopian aesthetic. This work was created in 2021 to be a feature piece in my exhibition "Anthology" at the Mount Dora Center for the Arts, Mount Dora, Florida.
Welded steel/paint/patina. 37 X 18 X 12"
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