Nicole Beck at her studio , work-in-progress Oscilla 8
Continuing with my studio visits for the series on Contemporary Sculptors of Chicago..
May 8, 2013: Visited home-studio of Sculptor, Art Educator, & Public Artist Nicole Beck
Nicole Beck also teaches art in schools, and is one of the founder members of CSI click here..
I have always found the process of fabrication of a sculpture to be as interesting or sometimes even more interesting than the final art piece. I knew Nicole Beck is working on a new sculpture, and I wanted to see the work-in-progress. So I contacted her and yesterday [May 8, 2013] I was at her home-studio. It turned out to be a wonderful afternoon. Nicole was working on a piece to be exhibited at Chicago Sculpture Exhibit [CSE] this June. It’s a stainless steel and mosaic piece “Oscill8”. I was amazed by the amount of work involved in making of her art. It’s hours and hours of labor, usually alone in her studio. Here are some images from the day..
May 8, 2013
NICOLE BECK STUDIO [Work-in-progress, making of Oscilla8]

Maquette: Oscilla 8
OSCILLA 8
“Oscill 8” : 8 x 6 foot stainless steel sculpture built from sawed & welded pipe rings of various diameters & extended on both ends with glass mosaic of opposite/complimentary colors. Oscillation is the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. Oscillations occur not only in physical systems but also in mathematics, biological systems, in human society and the brain.

work-in-progress, making of Oscilla 8 [Notice the maquette place at the base of the [incomplete] work

Nicole Beck at her studio

Nicole Beck Studio
The foam will be scraped to shape. Then a stainless steel mesh fixed over it. Then concrete and then mosaics fitted to it! Then it will be attached on top of this stainless steel piece.. Phew! All these left to do, when I thought the work is almost complete!!! Making art is indeed hard work!

Skinner in the studio
Skinner is looking straight into the camera! I love it!
Some more images from the studio visit [May 8 2013]..
- Nicole Beck
- Nicole Beck
- Nicole Beck
- Maquette – Nicole Beck
- Nicole Beck Studio
- Nicole Beck Studio
Some of her earlier works that I have photographed..

Binary Project, 2000..
Binary Project, 2000 – by Gallery 37 apprentices, with guidance from Lead Artists Nicole Beck and Jim Brenner.
Location: DeVry Instituite of Techniology in Chicago.
Binary Project 2000, shows the multiple aspects of technology and it’s impact upon our lives and culture. The artwork represents a random binary code format [zeros and ones] stratified to configure larger zeros and ones from a distance.
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Foxgloves and Fists
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Cold Spot: A Gulf Story
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Published by Jyoti Srivastava / May 9, 2013.
Image copyright © Jyoti Srivastava
RELATED LINKS:
Studio Visits: click here..
Know the Artists series.. click here..
Chicago Art Blogger