Featured Artist: Andy Zimmermann

When I think of sculpture, I think of a stationary object that was produced by human hands that I can sit and look at while it is on display. However, the other day, I was introduced to a piece of art done by Andy Zimmerman which was a mixture of sound, video, and sculpture all in one.

Zimmerman finished graduate school at Mass School of Art in 2003. After school he then started using video and sound in his artistic process. Prior to graduate school, Zimmerman’s art work was mostly sculpture with some painting early on in his life. Now Zimmerman is interested in how to integrate video and sound into his new works.

Zimmerman has designed computer programs that sound like instrumental music but are actually computer generated sound. These programs when finished look like a spider web of some type of complex math problem. They appear very intimidating and daunting; however, Zimmerman enjoys making them for his works. He then turns that unique sound back into sculpture. Zimmerman has also used video projection in his installations. In some ways, he feels like he is incorporating painting with the video projection because it is able to manipulate objects. For one installation, Zimmerman used old car parts as his projection surface. The parts were all painted white and then very specific masks were generated on the computer to project exactly what Zimmerman wanted to show.

Zimmerman also likes to use frosted Plexiglas in his work. He enjoys the visual effect that the Plexiglas gives off. For example, in Either Nor, Zimmerman constructed the frame and glass in an abstract geometric way. He then included the image that would serve as a human body in the piece. The theme of the piece was about being haunted and how things of this nature are not very clear but instead give off a foggy presence.

I was able to get a sneak peek at Zimmerman’s most recent work in progress which will be at the BSG in the spring, but I am sworn to secrecy and can’t give you any hints, so you will have to wait and see! Andy Zimmermann’s work will be on view at Boston Sculptors Gallery April 20 - May 22, 2011. Submitted by Jen Costa, Boston Sculptors Gallery intern.