Each week, artist Linus Coraggio highlights one of his pieces—offering insight into the origins, inspirations, and aesthetic intentions behind the artwork. You can find The Weld of the Week here, on Facebook, and on Instagram.

September 23, 2014 Weld of the Week #3

Tri-Spring Candlestick (2007)

Tri-Spring (2007) - candlestick by Linus CoraggioAmong my taller candlesticks, Tri-Spring is also on the more eclectic and artistic end of design. The engine block springs came from a ‘60s Buick I bought in New Orleans and drove to NYC where it met its untimely death on the Lower East Side when it caught on fire from a leaky gas tank. The base is an unusual cast gear. The vertical proportions are particularly offbeat in this piece as your eye travels up or down.

I’ve done over 150 different “candle holding devices” as I call them and this is one of my personal favorites.

—Linus Coraggio


September 12, 2014 Weld of the Week #2

Harley Rocking Chair (2006)

Harley Rocking Chair (2006) - sculptural chair by Linus CoraggioThe idea came from a visit to NYC Harley-Davidson (which is—strangely—located in Queens, NY) about 8 years ago with a childhood friend, who’d bought his first Harley there in 1982 and knew all the old-school managers and mechanics by their first names or nicknames. When I mentioned I did metal art, Bobby “Wheels” was only too happy to walk me to the back and let me rummage through their dumpster. That‘s where the two gas tanks came from—they’d been in real crashes and have some road rash on them. I did not have the idea right away to make a rocking chair out of them, but when I sat on them it was a no-brainer. They are pretty comfortable at the angles I put them!

—Linus Coraggio


September 4, 2014 Weld of the Week #1

Rebbecca (2000)

Rebbecca (2000) - abstract sculpture by Linus CoraggioThis sculpture was inspired by David Smith and a story involving his daughter (Rebecca Smith) and a high school friend of mine who shares the same name and lives in the same town (Bolton Landing, NY) as Smith's daughter. The non-daughter apparently gets the daughter's mail by accident sometimes. Anyway the random serendipity of the story was a departure point for channeling some of David Smith's genius into a homage to my friend. Not that the piece copies Smith's work (although Smith did use circles, he did not use them in this way).

The interplay of curves and circles in this 25"-high sculpture is a fascinating variance of levels and proportions that make for an exciting and truly rare, beautiful and unique composition. This was done when I was 38 and I consider it to be one of my finest abstract masterworks.

Another personal element of the piece is that I hand painted it (in a black to white tonal scale) where the change from light to dark tones resonates with the changing physical volumes and morphing linear thicknesses throughout the piece. The overall result, I think, is a highly complex and cerebral work considering it was done from a rough sketch.

—Linus Coraggio


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