“I want to see how far the nail can travel,” says Maine sculptor John Bisbee, who has been working exclusively with 12-inch nails for almost 30 years. This extended experiment in self-imposed material limitation has been met with success, not least because it’s a pleasure to see this utilitarian object transformed into something completely nonfunctional. His exhibit “Branded” features mandala-like designs with a far more two-dimensional orientation than much of Bisbee’s larger sculptural work, such as those on view at Shelburne Museum last year.
