ICTAS
“Then an oral part was to be greetings in their native languages,” Bickley said.
He submitted a wall-piece design in the same vein as ICTAS for a competition hosted by a state agency in Tallahassee, Fla.
If awarded the jobs, Bickley said they could very well be collaborative affairs, again infusing modern technologies. But that’s the direction in which his field is moving. The hyperrealism of popular entertainment has shaped viewer expectations. The more senses activated, the better.
Even his methods of production favor water jet and laser cutters.
“I have to use the technology,” Bickley said. “There’s no going back to the torch.”
The capabilities are seemingly boundless and the efficiency is undeniable.
Although Bickley embraces the sea change, his core beliefs haven’t been washed away.
“The one thing that I think is important about art is it has to stand alone,” he said. “It can’t always rely on electricity or a computer to activate it. That’s not a reliable item yet.”
If the hypothetical Dulles installation was to malfunction, Bickley said he couldn’t afford to travel there on a whim to troubleshoot.
The ICTAS sculpture, for example, already has bugs to sort out. Bickley waved vigorously at sensors only to hear the audio clips 15 seconds later, if at all. Without an on-call technician, such artistic efforts function with an unwanted limp, although Bickley is optimistic.
“I think the technology’s catching up to be more stable,” he said.
But there’s still an audience for Bickley’s more traditional metal work, the art he said he enjoys considerably more. He’s a finalist for a competition in Richmond for an outdoor sculpture on Capital Trail, which is similar to Blacksburg’s Huckleberry Trail.
The piece might not be rigged to shout encouragement at joggers, but Bickley aims to make it an engaging compliment to the trail.
“That’s probably why I’ve always liked sculpture,” he said. “It at least requires more than just a contemplative stare. It has a tactile surface to it and a reality that makes it unique.”
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A version of this article appeared in the Feb 12 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Didn't have a chance to check out the real art yet, the image shot is very pleasing (http://www.ictas.vt.edu/lobbyart.shtml)
I'm always attracted to sculpture for reasons beyond me... what if a sculpture has the capability to influence its viewers' mood, thoughts... what if a sculpture has the capability to be evolving by and in itself, say, in spring, it opens it arms, ready to spring, in summer, it makes you feel like a cooling water fall and in winter...
what if a sculpture has the capability to cry, to shout (to shout at all those slow movers and thinkers, move on or move out this space for someone else more capable!), to laugh (to laugh at one's own folly), and to smile (smile a hearty smile), what if a sculpture has the capability to grow, grow out of impossibility, make today for tomorrow!
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