David Tarby Art Works
My Journey
Hey! I am Dave Tarby. I have been creating all of my life, and over the past 5 years in particular, I have been fine-tuning my unique signature style, using Great Stuff Spray Foam as my medium, to create over-sized sculptures & three dimensional murals with content jumping from the canvas. Allow me to take you through a journey of my artistic process, delivering both completed creations and those that are still in the making, in order to express the discovery and evolution of my passion to you!
Discovering Spray Foam
In the summer of 2017, my apartment had become infested with rats. Once this had become evident, I removed a few ceiling tiles to assess the situation, and discovered dozens of rodents bouncing around the grid like it was Studio 54. This was out of my realm of expertise, so I hired an exterminator to help put an end to the commotion in the ceiling that had been keeping me up every night. Once we had managed to poison this unwanted community of pests living in my walls and ceilings, it was up to me to use my construction background to handle the rest. Due to the severity of the situation, I was forced to demolish the existing ceiling and walls, in order to remove the dozens of rotting carcasses scattered throughout the cavities of my home. I must have escorted 50 or 60 to the dumpster throughout this process, clearing all unwelcome energy from my space.At this stage of my renovation, I noticed a lot of mold growing on the cobblestone foundation, along with many uninsulated pockets of moisture and air leaking into the basement. I purchased a few industrial sized spray foam kits, and sealed the mold and moisture back into the cobble stone. Once this was complete, I needed to use a smaller-sized, hand-held, spray foam gun, (designed by the company "Great Stuff") to seal all of the nooks and crannies. I get goosebumps thinking about the first time I picked up that gun & discovered the feeling I received while using it. This material was so fascinating to me, and the changing textures throughout each second of the curing process filled my mind with endless possibilities of creations that could evolve in utilizing this tool and this material!
Discovery
At this time, the apartment was still in the demolition phase of my construction. When I was spray foaming the corners of the ceiling, I had hung plastic sheeting to protect the flooring. At one point, the plastic sheeting had fallen, yet it was still stuck to the ceiling from the spray foam. I had mindlessly been playing around with a heat gun, and I began to shrink the hanging plastic with this heat gun. Watching the plastic shrink from the heat of the gun filled my body with a satisfying feeling. I equate it to how one of those stress-relieving apps make you feel, allowing you to watch textures change, somehow stimulating a sense of calmness throughout the body, while quieting the chatter of the brain. That feeling I get sitting around a camp fire, watching the wooden logs burn into the sky. The flame takes over, leaving my brain mesmerized, liberating my spirit to tap into the raw energy of the present moment. I let this feeling take over, and before I knew it, I had shrunk the entire base of the perimeter of plastic sheeting, hanging from the ceiling.
Vision
As I stepped back, I was spontaneously illuminated with a vision. I was gazing at the spray foam, oozing from the cracks of the ceiling, while the hanging plastic started to resemble the perfect shape of a magnificent tree. I had always been connected to nature, and had a bit of an obsession & fascination with trees, in particular. As I stood there, creating my new environment, post "Rat-pocolypse", all I could hear was logic and reason screaming at me in my head, "DAVID JUST FINISH THE JOB, STOP COMPLICATING THINGS," This was the voice of the mind. The voice of reason. I had just overcome months of misery in the process of this rat removal, and living in a half-renovated construction zone did not make my life easier. I knew a venture like this would not be easy, and I also knew I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew is what I felt when I sprayed that gun, what I felt when I shrunk that plastic, and the vision I felt in that moment.
Realization
I realized how similar the spray foam texture was to that of bark on a tree, and this vision just took over my entire being. I know the responsible thing would have been to just finish the renovation, and then after, maybe I would have time, someday, to explore this opportunity, but for me, that's not how it worked. I needed to do this.
Inventing the Wheel
Pursuing the completion of this vision would be the biggest challenge of my artistic experience. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew what needed to be done. Essentially, this part of my process was like inventing the wheel for myself. This is something no one had done before this time, meaning there was no one to learn from, and no blueprint with what to do. I became a pioneer in using this material to create, rather than just to seal air gaps in the crevices of a window or foundation. I made my own rules. I paved my own path. This is what life is all about to me. Freedom.
Spray Foam 101
I took this time to hone in on my craft, and learned how to really sharpen this skill. The first part of my process began with spray-foaming the plastic, hanging from the ceiling. The heat gun allowed me to manipulate the plastic into the shape of a tree. The base curved in, and then branched out into the ceiling. I covered this with spray foam, and within 30 minutes, this flimsy plastic sheet became a hard surface, in the shape of my intention, while also resembling the texture of a tree. Wow. I was so far from anything resulting in a completion, but this moment filled me with so much excitement, hope, and determination to take this to the next level.
Understanding My Commitment
As I mentioned, this was my "inventing the wheel" part of my process. I was using this as an opportunity to really understand what I could do with the gun, how I could clean this tool, and how I could yield different results by using it in different ways. I learned that ranges of curing times from 10 seconds to 30 seconds to 2 minutes to 5 minutes could all allow me to achieve different results. Thousands of hours were put into the creation of this tree, teaching me to unleash the full potential of the creator in me. This tree is a representation of my evolution, my growth, and my success, as a human being and as an artist. I always tended to start big projects, while never finishing them. Maybe it was my pursuit of perfectionism that got in the way, or maybe I just never had a clear enough vision. This was the first time in my life that I not only felt interested to create, but I felt a hunger that couldn't be satisfied, unless this was completed. It felt like there was no other option for me.
Living Conditions
On top of learning this new skill, my living space and creative work space were two in the same. This created so many obstacles along the way for me. I did not have a place to come home to and relax, and I was not living in a clean environment. This certainly took a toll on my mental health.
For more than a year, my apartment was taped off in plastic, while loose screws, saws, blades, and toxic materials were scattered from wall to wall. My daily attire consisted of a hazmat suit & a respirator, while my days were spent working around 16 foot cedar panels, dividing the already confined area of my 18x16 living space in half, as there was no other place to store them in the harsh New England weather. The constant delays I encountered on this journey inevitably prolonged this uncomfortable way of life for me.
Why Stay Committed?
I would have epiphany after epiphany, and in honor of this vision, I would have no choice, but to adjust my process, move forward with another delay, and sacrifice more time in the name of bringing my vision to life. This was not easy for me. This was not convenient for me. My living conditions were already almost unbearable, but this was bigger than me. For the first time in my human experience, I felt like I had purpose. I am not quite sure what that purpose was specifically, but to me, doing this, tapping into this creative flow, letting go of all the rules, surrendering to the unknown, and trusting the universe, fueled the fire in my soul. People would ask me, why are you doing this? This is why. People asked me how I would make a living doing this. To be honest, I really don't know if that will happen. All I know is the feeling I get when I do this, and that is worth more than any paycheck I could ever receive. I believe that if I stay focused on my creations, my life will unfold exactly as it should.
No, I did not have a paycheck waiting for me at the end of this completion, and yes it did cost me my life's savings to complete. Detachment from money in the name of creation is essential. We lose that sense of freedom in creativity when it becomes about money. The problem with the world we live in, is that if we are not receiving financial compensation for our efforts, most lose desire and motivation to achieve their goals. A big moment for me in my artistic journey was letting go of the attachment to money, in regards to why I create anything. I finally realized that this mentality disturbs the final result of creation. How do I get past this attachment? I have learned that the only attachment I should have when it comes to my art, is on the focus of creation.
Purpose over Paycheck
Logistics
​As time went by, the tree really came together. Eventually, the base of the tree was standing with a 7-foot diameter. I had built a column, in the middle, secured it into the beam on the ceiling, and installed a TV mount to the column, allowing the Tree to function as the entertainment center. Before any panels for the ceiling or walls were installed, I wired a surround sound Bose speaker system throughout the space, hard-wiring all ceiling mounted speakers to the amplifier in the middle of my entertainment center. Along with the high-end audio entertainment system installation, I also wired security cameras throughout the tree, disguised in the branches, hard-wired to the main server, which was also located in the middle of the tree, housing all of my low voltage equipment.
Office Vision
My vision became clearer as time went on. The tree was in the corner of the room, emerging from two walls. One wall was pressed up against the foundation of the house, while the other wall connected to my closet. With the 7-foot diameter of space inside the tree, I decided it was the perfect location for my office. All I had to do was knock down the wall in my closet, and I would have access to the inside of my tree. At this point, the space could not have been more insulated. No rodents could even come close to sneaking into my home again. However, all this protective insulation got me thinking about ventilation and how it is an absolute necessity, especially if I was going to be using the inside of this tree as my work space.
Ventilation
I then installed duct work through the basement window, into the center of the tree. I discovered the branches for the duct work were actually the perfect shape to mold the branches from the base of my tree. I then installed supply and return vents inside of the tree, to provide proper circulation and breathability, along with additional vents outside of the base of the tree, to provide the same treatment throughout the entire apartment.
Unforeseen Conditions
Once the duct work was installed, I was ready to seal the tree, and then knock down the closet wall to gain access to the private control center for all my electronics. I felt like I was so close to the end, and it seemed as if most of the obstacles had been overcome. What should have been a 2-hour process of demolishing the wall to gain access to my control room, turned into another 4-month ordeal. Once I tore the sheetrock down, a double-layer brick wall was revealed. This shook my world for a minute. I had to take a step back. I literally just spent a year of my life, all of my money, and all of my resources pursuing this vision. Access to the control room was imperative. The expression "so close, yet so far" could not have been more applicable. This was not only a major inconvenience in terms of labor, but it was also a structural issue as well. This brick wall was part of the foundation, stabilizing this house. Smashing the double layered brick wall, along with removing all of the bricks and debris from the basement, was an extremely meticulous process that required much thought and patience. In order to preserve the integrity of the house, this section was temporarily supported, and then a reinforced-steel lintel was installed across the top section of the opening, resting on two new columns, to distribute the weight evenly. This was the last major obstacle in the creation of the Tree.
The Godfather
Now that I really had my skill dialed in, I really wanted to challenge myself. At this time, the movie, "The Godfather" was really resonating with me. There was something about the "heavy lies the crown" concept that I respected and admired at that time. This inspired my next piece. I was yet not sure the direction of meaning I wanted deliver with this piece, but I knew the foundation would be sculpting his face, and that was all I needed to know in order to approach this new challenge.
Fine-Tuning the Technique
Over the next 6 months, I began to tackle this new project. As I evolved, I learned how to fine-tune this spray foaming process a bit more. Once I was done freestyling my sculpt, I would take different blades and saws, and I would begin to carve intricate details within the crevices of the face. Once I achieved the desired shape, I would then use spackle, (used in construction to patch drywall), to seal in the pores from the shaved spray foam. Once I sealed the shape with spackle, I would sand down the roughness, until I had smoothed out the surface. I then apply a coat of liquid rubber to this sanded down, spackled surface, and allow that to dry. This leaves my sculpture with the shape and texture necessary to deliver the creation of my intention, ready to be painted.
Due to the extremely challenging intricacies & details presented by the human form, I decided to put this piece on hold, while I was on the pursuit of perfectionism in my skill.
Sculpture Meets Mural
Now that I had the tree under belt, and I had spent half of a year, learning new ways to express myself in approaching the details of the human form, the wheels started spinning with what I could do next. At this point, I found myself very intrigued with painting portraits of presidents. As I began painting the faces of presidents from different denominations of money I had in my pocket, I felt inspired to embark on a new journey with this medium. At this point, I had only worked on sculptures, but at this time, I found that I wanted to deliver a bigger message with a mural. This is when I had the idea to combine the concept of a mural and the concept of a sculpture into one creation, using the properties of both, to deliver the message of my intention.
In God We Trust
All of the spray foam in the middle of the mural is freestyled by hand, demonstrating the skills I have mastered in molding & manipulating this medium. The outer framework was by far the biggest challenge I have faced thus far on my journey. Over the course of more than one year, I spent countless hours in my studio, attempting to mimic the exact shape, dimensions, and proportions of the framework on the back side of a one-dollar bill. I would freestyle my lay out of the frame, go through a process of adding and subtracting the necessary foam to mimic the exact shape and proportion, and fail dozens and dozens of times in my attempts. Every time I had to scrape off another attempt at my perfect frame, it felt like someone was ripping out a little piece of my soul. I would spend 50 or 60 hours at work, and then have to accept the fact that I needed to start from scratch again. Like a Phoenix rises from its ashes, I rise from the ashes of my failure, delivering me to the growth of my full potential. Eventually, with many attempts of trial and error, I finally achieved perfection. Once the shape was complete, I repeated the same process that I had discovered with the Godfather. I used the spackle in a very meticulous and intentional manner, which created a texture that mimicked that of a wrinkled dollar bill. Once this texture was achieved, I glazed the spackle with enough liquid rubber to allow the surface to slightly crack a bit. My frame's texture was officially sized properly and completed to perfection, ready for paint. The cracked surface of the wrinkled bill that I created, gives off the energy of the cracked Liberty Bell, which really ties the energy of this piece together in a beautiful way for me, aesthetically and historically speaking.
Looking into the Future
Now that my "In God We Trust" has been completed, I am excited to come back to other works that had been put on hold. Stay tuned to witness updates on "The Godfather" and "You Think It's A Game" as I prepare to take "The Godfather" in another direction, and as I bring "You Think It's A Game" to life with the addition of a spray foam enhancement.