Sean Flanagan

MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE:
I create traditional drums made from deer, elk and buffalo hides that are stretched over ponderosa pine wood. They are painted with designs that try to unite deep tradition with the contemporary and are done in an original balanced style. I draw inspiration from the traditional images of my native roots and depict ancestral motifs and characters which have been passed down from my ancestors generation to generation. I gather and harvest all of the materials for my drums from our sacred mountain on the Taos Pueblo land. The hides are tanned, soaked and stretched over wood frames then dried to create an instrument that is both functional and decorative. I design and fabricate steel sculptures using a waterjet cutting process that allows me to cut sheet steel with a high pressure beam of water and a sand abrasive. I use this technique to hopefully create powerful indigenous characters that can depict stylized animals, traditional indigenous designs and abstract motifs using the steel sheets as my canvas. I weld the cut pieces on to a steel base and cook them in a kiln at 1800 degrees for several hours to create texture and movement on the surface of the sculpture. I will also powdercoat paint these sculptures with an uv and water resistant paint so that they can be placed indoor or outdoor and not be negatively affected by the environment.