TOTEM: Abby Golodik

May 5th – August 21st, 2017

Abby Golodik, Original Totem, 2016, plastic 3D filament

Union College junior, Abby Golodik, continues to find inspiration in the repeated creation of a single shape, a “totem,” which she crafts in a multitude of mediums, in two and three dimensions. With each iteration, the totem affects more closely its creator’s intention. Using programs like Cinema 4D, Adobe Premiere, and 123D Make, Golodik has fashioned her totem into the ultimate, responsive artifact, levitating and orbiting within the palm of her hands – literally – in a digital video she created. From 3D-printed sculpture to 2D digital print, to hyper-real digital video, each manifestation of totem seems to be more strongly imbued with the presence of the artist.

“This project began last spring with inspiration from a metal sculpture project. I created a clay model and then we poured molten aluminum in sand molds to create the final piece. I did not know it yet, but this piece would be my inspiration for a new project in 3D Modeling. The project was to create a totem that represented myself. I remodeled the metal piece in Cinema4D software. Here I was able to manipulate it and create something that looks like a real, physical object, but doesn’t exist outside of the computer. I found more meaning behind the shape when changing its context and placing it in my own hands, animating this personal connection. Finally it had come together and I was able to visualize how this piece truly was “my totem” as it rotated and hovered around in my hands, as if one with my mind. But then I wanted to make it real once again. I 3D-printed it first, and then decided to continue making different sculptural reiterations of it, moving into wood this term.

This body of work portrays how ideas transform from class to class and may come full circle when experimenting between mediums. Totem has grown into something that is almost obsessive. There is so much to create with this one shape. It may seem repetitive, but I found each reiteration becomes more beautiful and has its own, stand-alone qualities, independent from the rest of the work, and still forms a cohesive collection when viewed together.

These works are a self-portrait that we inevitably create in any piece of artwork.”

– Abby Golodik