Ellie Bodor’s art is fueled by her passion for science fiction. She shapes metal wires into futuristic sculptures. A ninth-grader at Pine View School in Osprey, Florida, Ellie’s dream is to someday make prosthetics (artificial limbs) for humans. “I want to be on that frontier,” she adds excitedly, “where we’ll blend humans with machines.”
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Sci-Fi Sculptures
This artist crafts tiny critters with wire and metal
How does Ellie use balance, form, and suspension in her sculptures?
When did you first get serious about art?
In middle school, people started noticing my sculptures and liked them. Their comments made me realize that what I was doing was much more than a hobby. They inspired me to keep working.
How did you come up with your ideas?
I wanted a visually exciting hummingbird, so I added lots of wild colors. I made the robotic bug after I looked at pictures of scorpions and other spiny bugs. I worked with screws and sharp machine parts to make the bug look scary.
What made you decide to work with industrial materials?
I try to portray a fictional world of robots, machines, gears, and cogs as much as I can in my sculptures. Metal wire is a perfect medium for me. I love how malleable the wires feel as I bend them into shape.
How did you create your sculptures?
Using wire cutters and pliers, I bent 16-gauge wire to create a frame for each sculpture. Once I shaped its pose, I used a higher gauge but thinner wire to add the “skin” and other details, like feathers. I used copper-colored wire to add color. I continued to make adjustments and improvements as I worked.
What was the biggest challenge creating these figures?
My figures don’t have eyes, so I have to suggest attitude through their forms, poses, and gestures.
Do you have a favorite sculpture? Why?
I’d have to say the robotic bug. It’s the most solid-looking and the most imposing sculpture. I was really surprised how well it turned out. Using screws was the perfect choice to make it sci-fi and scary.
Do you have any advice for aspiring artists like yourself?
Be original. Keep pushing yourself to do better. Learn from your mistakes, but don’t dwell on them.
Ellie won Gold Keys for her sculptures in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
To find out more about this program, visit artandwriting.org.
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