Tacenda: a sculpture carved out of alabaster that aims to capture the moment when a hand comes in contact with an object and the relationship that those two things form. The sculpture is carved out of alabaster, a soft translucent stone. Using various grades of sandpaper and cut wheels, the block is carved away to reveal a space for hands to gravitate.

When the viewer comes in contact with the object, the placement of the various pathways and carvings become less random and more curated (intentional). The piece invites the viewer to run their right hand down the carved stone. Starting at the top, the hand fits in and then like water can flow down the pathways to the bottom. An elbow-like shape on the underside allows the piece to pivot and rotate. The sculpture is meant to capture movement and spark imagination. When somebody views the piece, it should come to life while connecting them to their environment. The process began with experimenting with the various tools to see which worked best with the material and also what felt most comfortable to use. 

As the carving began, it informed the way the gestures and stone fit together. Drawing on the rock allowed for mapping out where changes in the elevation and curves of the piece should take place. The deeper pathways will be polished and smooth, and the rest of the piece will be smooth but not as polished in order to draw the viewer's attention to the polished part. When working with natural materials, the material forces the artist to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the material which inevitably alter the designs in ways the artist didn't plan. This is different from how designers typically work because designers tend to force the materials to do what they want. A lot of times when someone is designing something they have an idea and then make the materials conform to that idea. When an artist sculpts, the materials that are used do not like to be forced.

In this project, the material leads and the designer follows.