David’s Incubator focused on the exploration of complex stenciling using the laser cutter. His theme was musical instrumentation and living creatures juxtaposed. Here is his statement:

The Paintings

My initial conception of the painting process evolved with the familiarization of the laser cutter. The precision and intricacy of the laser was immediately obvious when I began to cut my first stencils and the process became much more detailed and in-depth than I initially anticipated.

Lamps

Experimentation with cutting the stencils out in wood, instead of the acetate used for the paintings, lead to a whole new and unfamiliar venture in creating some 20+ led lantern sculptures. The original stencils redesigned into shadowboxes, fully portable, activated by lithium-ion batteries and capable of running for more than 40 hours, continuously, on a single charge.

Hand-painted Laser Engravings

As I fell further down the “rabbit hole” of laser cutting, I stumbled upon the act of laser engraving negative images on previously painted wood panels, removing layers of paint by changing the laser to a very low power setting and then intricately handpainting over the negative image burned into the wood.

The laser cutter has profoundly changed my work and I can only see more possibilities with further exploration. The combination of technology and art is an exciting new frontier that I feel blessed to be able to explore.

David Cedeño’s Exhibit was held from December 14th, 2014 to January 11th, 2015