Mallets and forks up, Phoenix! Chow Bella and Roosevelt Row present the third annual Pie Social and Croquet Tournament on Saturday, November 3, from 2 to 6 p.m. on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. Chow Bella's profiling the all-star line up of pie-makers, and from now til Pie Social, we'll introduce the artists creating wickets for the Croquet Tournament, one by one. Up today: Kyle Blalock
Kyle Blalock is a student at Herberger School of Art at ASU and a member of the Arizona State Sculpture Collective. He was born in Payson and has lived in various cities in Arizona.
See Also: - Wait 'Til You See the Final Celebrity Baker Lineup for Pie Social 2012! - Get Ready for a Downtown Croquet Tournament During Chow Bella and Roosevelt Row's Annual Pie Social in November
Blalock says his interest in art began with black and white photography and quickly moved to ceramics, which he studied in high school and his first two years of college at Northland Pioneer College in Northeastern Arizona. After enrolling at ASU, Blalock began to pursue a sculpture degree because he felt it would afford him more artistic opportunities.
He continues to study sculpture and enjoys the prospects of working with new materials and mediums and hopes to attend graduate school after he graduates this December.
When you aren't sculpting you're probably...
When I am not sculpting I am talking about sculpting, applying for residencies, and going to show openings.
Three major inspirations or influences?
I am heavily influenced by the work of Louise Bourgeoise and the psychological implications her pieces contain. I grew up in the White Mountains of Arizona where being apart of nature was a way of life; my experiences play a major role in the way I approach subject matter. The material I decide to utilize inspires me as I play and discover its capabilities.
Since the theme is Alice in Wonderland, if you could be any character in the World of Alice in Wonderland who would it be and why?
I would be the Mad Hatter because having crazy tea parties in the middle of the woods was something I frequented in high school.
Most preferred materials or medium to work with when sculpting?
I love metal; bronze, iron, aluminum....melting them in foundry has been a highlight of my undergraduate career. The permanence and the versatility of metal gives me the opportunity to think outside the box and create things beyond my own expectations of a material.
Favorite pie?
Tie between key lime and banana cream.
More profiles are coming soon, but in the meantime you can check out Chow Bella's lineup of Pie Social chefs.Stay tuned to Jackalope Ranch and Chow Bella for more info.
