Hands Before Mine, Hands Beside Mine | Work by Emily Baker

Hands Before Mine, Hands Beside Mine | Work by Emily Baker

This project entitled Hands Before Mine, Hands Beside Mine, begins by acknowledging that my sculptural practice was not cultivated in isolation. Comprised of a series of cast iron diptychs, the work pays homage to the numerous mentors who have shaped my technical understanding of making. Based in the craft genealogy that often accompanies trades, these works honor the ways learning is transferred through proximity. The lessons and techniques from my mentors remain embedded in my hands as a record of influence. This work is an attempt to hold their guidance in material form.

The sculptural forms are directly inspired by an archive abandoned in Allegheny-Ludlum Technologies Specialty Steel (AL Tech) in Watervliet, New York. Stemming from studio-photographed stainless steel mechanical parts, these photographs were produced as evidence for metallurgical analysis. Parts submitted, examined, ground down, etched, and studied so that a metallurgist could generate a technical report. Many of the files are marked with blunt assessments— rejectable, complaint—and accompanied by meticulous typewritten notes describing “minute cracks in the fillet areas,” “radial cracking at center flange,” “center rupture revealed by grinding,” or “splined shaft which failed in service.” Whether the defects resulted from human error, alloy adhesion, or misuse remains unclear, but each document exists only because something went awry. Special care went into retaining these identifiable failures within these wall-mounted cast iron pieces. The archive exists because something failed: my mentorships exist because something succeeded.

The making of this work took place over the course of six months in settings conducive to an exchange with numerous students and green practitioners. As work in America continues to shift toward isolation, celebrated in a Work-From-Home modality, it seems as though opportunities for mentorship are becoming increasingly rare. Hands Before Mine, Hands Beside Mine allowed me to share my own craft lineage with those eager to learn from my hands.

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My mentors are:

Sheri – David – Michael – Chuck – Ken – Michael – Norwood – Andrew – Jim – George – Blaise

Who are yours?