Mahogany Woman #1

“Mahogany Woman #1” - This figure was made when I was in art school in the late 1960s. It was inspired by the handle of an Irwin screwdriver (second picture). These screwdriver’s had a steel tang that was sandwiched between two pieces of wood, and then all were sanded into a teardrop comfortable shape. For the mahogany woman - I welded up a skeletal 1-inch backbone frame then applied blocks of mahogany with holes bolted with through bolts. Then, I gingerly carved the shapes. She was heavy...only about 3 ft tall and over 300 lbs!! I mounted her on a 3 ft square box and then struggled to put her somewhere - she became a problem. She gradually became a coat/hat rack in my home near the front door. There was no fear of her tipping over, she was real solid!! I finally sold her to an old friend who liked her. He may have been her only admirer and referred to her as Ant Woman. Her tilted head did seem ant-like! I learned a few things while making her and even more, after she was finished.
 
SOLD - Private Collection