The sculptures of David Moreno evoke many things: pick-up sticks, tree houses and the frantic sketches of Claude Monet. There is something kinetic, even bewitched, about these unique works, which are composed of hundreds of narrow steel rods. Examining one of these sculptures, it almost seems as if the rods have arranged themselves into their loose architectural form, and that — at any moment — the edifice might disassemble itself like a mirage.
This quality of impermanence, or even fragility, seems to be part of what Moreno is going for. He describes his process as “trying to draw sculptures,” a succinct way of explaining how his works bring the loose, impressionistic quality of the sketchbook to sculpture.
The fact that the carefully arranged rods take the forms of buildings should thrill architects, who know firsthand what it’s like to see sketches translated into three-dimensional structures. The moment of transition between two phases of a project appears to be of great interest to Moreno.
Folks who are interested in illusionism in art will find much to love here, as well. “Using a similar technique to cross-hatching, he is able to create tonal or shading effects of carefully placed lines that are viewed from a specific vantage point,” explains the art critic Caro at Hi-Fructose. “As you walk around each piece, the form disappears into the mass of material.”
The liveliness and vibrancy of these sculptures truly sets them apart. You can check out more of Moreno’s work at Behance.
All images via Colossal