What’s the best way to create a giant work of art? With a giant pen, of course.
Cartoonist Jim Woodring, whose text-free surreal art style most recently led to the release of Weathercraft, now has a new artistic weapon at his disposal that is totally unique to him. Woodring manufactured a 7-foot pen with the intention of discovering what kind of art can result from its use.
He raised the funds to create the really big pen by soliciting donors, whom offered more than $4,800 dollars. The accompanying video shows off just the “nib,” the 16-inch tip that puts the pen’s ink on a page.
Woodring also manufactured a 6-foot wooden pen holder which is “hand turned and lacquered with a cork wrapping and metal insert with spring retainer.” The nib itself is pretty gorgeous, so I’d assume the pen holder is just as attractive.
The purpose behind the 7-foot pen was to “bring into the world a large functioning pen and see what can be done with it,” Woodring told Wired. He’s been training in its use and plans to put on multiple public performances where he uses the pen to create art with dimensions up to 4 feet by 6 feet in front on an audience.
“It may be that the drawings made with it are too awful to keep, or it may be that they have qualities unattainable any other way,” Woodring said. “It may be that I won’t be able to operate the pen well but someone else will. We’ll see.”
Woodring calls the pen “heavy and awkward,” but still intends to demonstrate his abilities with it in public on January 9, 2011 at the Nibbus Maximus event at the Gage Academy of Art in Seattle, WA. What will come out of this monstrosity’s creation is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: It’ll be big.
Source: Wired
