Twisted metal leads to works of art at Merced gallery

Whether it’s a pregnant woman, an anatomically correct man or a dog reading a magazine, the artist featured at Merced College finds a way to work humor into her tangled metal sculptures.

Wendy Ballen, 61, whose studio is based in Capitola, is the focus of “Wired and Twisted,” a collection of her metal sculptures in the Merced College Gallery. Students and staff welcomed her on Wednesday, during a reception for the show that runs through Feb. 11.

Ballen said she studied art at University of California at Santa Cruz, graduating in 1980, but put it down as she got into Tai Chi and acupuncture. Then, in 1999, she was on a trip in Venice, Italy, surrounded by artwork.

“There was something missing and I didn’t know what it was,” she said. “When I went to Venice, my heart exploded.”

She started studying sculpture at Cabrillo College, a community college in Santa Cruz County. She said she realized sculpture came easy to her because of her time studying Tai Chi and acupuncture, Eastern practices that require a knowledge of the body and how it moves.

“I realized, I’ve spent the (previous) 15 years developing my technique,” she said.

She’s worked with brass, steel, copper, sheet metal and even silver to make her art. The process involves an array of pliers to work the metal into place.

Ballen said her work often circles around family or her pets. For example, the piece that features a dog reading a magazine was inspired by the time one of her two brothers found a copy of Mad magazine in the gutter.

She continues to teach Tai Chi and makes a living as an acupuncturist.

Susanne French, the gallery’s coordinator, said the display fits in with school curriculum because sculpture students at Merced College study wire art.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Twisted metal leads to works of art at Merced gallery."