A Celebration is a commemorative work, designed to honor the life and spirit of a beloved relative. The family wanted a work of art that captured the joyful and larger than life persona that he embodied. They provided photographs, recollections of his life and insights into his character and personality.
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Images of these navigational icons were the inspiration for the sculpture. Based upon my analysis of the subject's character and these visual precedents, I then created a preliminary design for the sculpture using sketches and scale models. The form is abstract and geometric but has identifiable anthropomorphic features.
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The sculpture is fourteen feet high, ten feet wide, weighs three thousand pounds and is supported on a concrete foundation. With the exception of the brass bell, it is made completely of recycled steel. All of the surfaces are left untreated, allowing the work to weather, over time, to a consistent rusty patina. The work's visual appearance varies throughout the course of the day and seasons with the changing light. |
A Celebration was conceived as a dynamic interactive experience, not as a passive monument. The subtly arching arms rotate in response to the wind. Visitors walk underneath and up to the torso where they feel literally, and symbolically, embraced by the sculpture. Visitors are able to announce themselves, and engage the subject, by ringing the brass bell. |
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