My artwork delves into the essence of structure and form, exploring the interplay of solidity, absence, and transparency within both organic and geometric realms. I am a shape maker who crafts nature-derived forms in ways that allow negative space to erode and redefine their solidity. I interpret complex natural structures through simple curved and linear planes, driven by an overpowering fascination with the miniature worlds that exist within every hole, crack, nook, void, and fold—and with the shifting play of shadow within them. In response, my forms are perforated with openings that foster a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, evoking a sense of lacy airiness and lightness.

My exploration of negative space is most often expressed through round, drilled holes. The circle carries deep cultural, scientific, and metaphysical significance, while holes themselves invite endless contemplation. Both also hold deep personal meaning for me, rooted in a childhood obsession with my grandfather’s 1940s Millers Falls hand-powered drill—an object that continues to influence my work today. As a child, I obsessively drilled hole after hole into my grandfather’s wooden workbench until I was eventually given blocks of wood to preserve it. The act of drilling—of excavating and opening space where none had existed before, of letting light into newly revealed places, of uncovering hidden worlds as if mining the material—was intoxicating. That fascination endures and defines my work, regardless of material.

My sculptures embody a paradox, challenging solidity and sturdiness through the removal of material—or perhaps through the addition of negative space. I often question which description is more accurate. Through this accumulation of perforations, my works become defined as much by what is absent as by what remains. My solid forms serve as canvases, while holes and gaps become brushstrokes, transforming rigidity into dynamic, shadow-filled expressions of form.

After more than a decade as a structural engineer, my fascination with stability led to a pivotal shift away from the profession and toward a life devoted to purely aesthetic structures. In this transition, my design philosophy evolved from “form follows function” to “function follows form.” My sculptures are form-driven structures that embrace the destruction of solidity and, consequently, function.

As a maker, I create static forms that vibrate with the quiet tension of juxtaposed positive and negative space, tenuous solidity, static motion, and arrested decay. The sculptures interact dynamically with their surroundings, inviting viewers to look at and through them as they move around them—witnessing a dance between presence and absence, the environment, and the observer.

Thank You,
Michael Enn Sirvet

A Hole Moot: https://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil375/Lewis1.pdf.