Film by Eric Minh Swenson. Produced by AC Projects.
ERIC ZAMMITT : What you’ll see in this video is the making of one of my larger scale acrylic plastic artworks. I consider the flat panels I make to be paintings, and the acrylic plastic material of which they’re made, simply paint in hardened form. My “brushes” are the bandsaw, tablesaw, glue, and a polishing machine.
Acrylic plastic, known under trade names such as Plexiglas and Lucite, is purchased in sheet form, usually 4’x8’, and I buy it in thicknesses from 1/8” up to 1/2”. It is a very challenging material to work with. Yet its luminosity, intensity, and variety of translucency are unparalleled in any other solid material.
For these reasons I find acrylic plastic very satisfying as a medium with which to explore the possibilities of color and pattern. Combined with the processes I employ, objects of deep intricacy and luminosity are possible. I also enjoy the physicality of the “paintings” as constructed objects.
Interspersed throughout the video you also will also see me working on various sculptural pieces I was making at the time. They are wall-mounted sculptures in which I was exploring the properties of thick layers of translucent milky-clear colorless acrylic in combination with thin layers of opaque colored acrylic. In these pieces, the color that you see between the thin distinctly colored layers is all reflected light only.
The making of this video took commitment on the part of film maker Eric Mihn Swenson. Eric made over a dozen visits to the studio to shoot the process over a three month period. This commitment went beyond just showing up and shooting. Eric was ever patient, and always put quality above speed. He was respectful of my space and timing, and never flagged from his dedication to high production values. It was a pleasure to work with him.
Eric Zammitt 9/14
Eric Zammitt lives and works in Los Angeles, California. His work
is shown and collected nationally and internationally. More of his work
and gallery representation may be found at ericzammitt.com.
For more info on Eric Minh Swenson or project inquiries visit his website: www.thuvanarts.com. You can also visit the art film series page at www.thuvanarts.com/take1