My work delves into the essence of structure, exploring the interplay of solidity, weight, stability, and permanence within organic and geometric realms. I craft forms inspired by nature, challenging conventional notions of solidity by embracing negative space. The deconstruction of natural shapes, influenced by gaps and cracks formed over time, informs my artistic process. Shapes inspired by weathered rocks, bubbles in waves, and shadows between trees serve as the foundation for my sculptures. The common thread lies in the fascination with voids in structures and the play of light and shadow over time, evoking a sense of airiness and lightness.

Over the years, negative space in my work has evolved, predominantly expressed through round, drilled holes. The circular form carries deep cultural, scientific, and metaphysical connotations. Beyond this, it holds personal significance, rooted in a childhood obsession with my grandfather's 1940s Millers Falls hand drill—an object that still influences my art today. With it, I would drill hole after hole after hole in my grandfather’s wooden workbench. Eventually, I was given blocks of wood to work with to keep his workbench from falling apart. The act of drilling holes into wood, the mystery of opening space where none had existed before, letting light into a place that had been dark and unknown, and revealing new worlds was intoxicating to me and remains a source of deep fascination.

My sculptures embody a paradox, challenging solidity, and sturdiness. I dismantle forms to open them up, introducing lightness and enlightenment. The solid shapes become canvases, with holes and gaps as brushstrokes, transforming rigidity into dynamic expressions of form. Having spent over a decade as a structural engineer, my fascination with stable structures led me to a pivotal shift. I left the profession to devote my life to creating purely aesthetic structures. In this pursuit, the paradigm shifted from 'form follows function' to 'function follows form.' My sculptures are form-driven structures, embracing the destruction of solidity and, consequently, function.

As a shape maker, my art aims to create static forms that vibrate with the quiet tension of juxtaposed negative and positive space, tenuous solidity, static motion, and arrested decay. The sculptures interact dynamically with their surroundings, manifesting intricate shadows under the right conditions—a perpetual dance between the present, the absent, their environment, and the observer.

Thank You,
Michael Enn Sirvet

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