Tolley Marney - Covenant (Horse Head)

Title of Piece: Covenant (Horse Head)

Medium: Hand built steel, wood from antique furniture circa 1850

Dimensions: Height: 20”, Length 28”, Width: 7” Weight: approx 85 lbs.

Describing a sculpture/object/figure: The steel shapes the outline of a horse’s head including the mane. The body of the horse is filled in with wood. The mane of the horse is strips of steel “flying” in the wind. The steel feels mostly smooth. The wood is smooth, but not flawless.

Describe the style and technique you used to create your art: This is a combination of wood and steel. I heated up cold steel in my propane forge. When the steel turns red, about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, I move it with a pair of tongs onto my anvil, where I hammer it into the shape I imagine it to me. The steel stretches and flows under my hammer as it cools, eventually becoming too cold to flow. I return it to my forge and repeat this action and many times and I need to on the sculpture. When enough of a form is built, I take pieces of wood I cut from antique furniture and I glue them into the shape. Adding wood, piece and piece. When I finish, I smooth out the form with an electric grinder. I leave some of the old paint from the funiture, so that the history of the art is alive. This sculpture took about 2-3 months to make using these techniques.