Alexandru Usineviciu

Statement

It was a combination between the chain mail of medieval armor, “the wire curtains” of some buildings in New York City and the minutely detailed wire jewelry of Mary Lee Hu that gave me the starting points to create my own technique of wire weaving. In early spring of 2011 I met Paul Tucker, a mathematician and a scholar, who introduced me to “Bridges” organization. Geometry being the language of my visual expression I realized that art and mathematics coexist in a perfect harmony. The helix wire is the commanding element in my work and has two functions, a unit and a connector at the same time. This system has a wide range of practical applications in architecture, sculpture, industrial and interior design, textile, jewelry etc.

Artworks

This sculpture is constructed by intersecting 4 woven panels at 90 degrees. The structure of each panel is based on hexagonal weaving. The wooden helixes are identical to the ones invented by Moses Y. Ransom from Cleveland Ohio and patented in 1885 . They where manufactured by my good friend Paul Tucker. This system of weaving wooden helixes was named Moorish Fretwork by Moses Ransom . He used them to make 2D screens partitions between spaces, furniture, etc. I developed the 3D Moorish Fretwork weaving and use it in building my sculptures. The helixes used in this sculpture have the same chirality. The patterns in ich panel are hexagonal.