ArtBuzz

Frog Fountain Wire Sculpture

Frog Fountain, 2004 Steel, wire, hose, copper, paint 61" L x 28" W x 12" H (65" H with stand) Available from Cycling Salamander Gallery
The better part of two 1/4 mile spools of wire went into making this fountain. I found myself singing Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love? pretty much the whole time I was making it (47 miles of barbed wire, etc.). You can read more about the process and see photos of the frog in progress by visiting this entry of the studio blog.
Alternate view	Detail	Detail
	Movie	Movie
click thumbnail to view larger image.

Steel & Granite Pull-Toy Sculpture

 

Ever since I made Big Horse Pull-Toy, I've been meaning to create more "sculpture on wheels." It's a very simple way to play with movement in a piece, but I like the idea of a sculpture that's easy to move around to different locations. There's an appeal, to my mind, in the idea of making sculpture less monumental and more intimate by allowing it the feedom to roam about. I also like the idea of being able to redesign a landscape or garden in the same way that one might move the furniture around in the living room. One might change the accents around as the seasons change, or maybe just mix things up now and then to keep them fresh.

Movement brings a sense of life to the work, whether it's a wind powered kinetic piece that moves on its own, or the simulated movement that I strive for in my line drawing sculptures, which attempt to capture the essence of a gesture in such a way that the mind can see motion where in fact there isn't any.

 

Big Horse Pull-toy Sculpture, 2003
medium	Steel, granite
size	38" x 51.75" x 16.5"
price	SOLD If you are interested in commissioning a similar sculpture, please contact me
	$1,300 plus S+H

Galaxy No. 1 Wind Vane Sculpture

 

I love the graceful style of the bearing housing on this sculpture— one of the most challenging aspects of kinetic sculptures is insuring that the mechanical elements work as well aesthetically as they do mechanically. I feel like this one really stands as a great example of design and art in harmony.

The wind vane spins easily in a light breeze, turning round and round, rather than stopping when it points into the wind. As it plays across the wind, it provides a nice rythmic point of interest for any garden or patio setting.

This sculpture is light enough that it can be placed anywhere outdoors with no installation. In extremely high winds, it might not be a bad idea to stake it down with the included rods. The vane lifts straight out of the bearing housing for easy disassembly for shipping.

 

Galaxy No. 1 Wind Vane Sculpture, 2004
medium	Steel
size	74" x 54" x 20"
	SOLD If you are interested in commissioning a similar sculpture, please contact me
price	$800.00 plus S+H

 

Look! Up In The Sky! It's A Bird! It's A Plane! It's A Wind Vane!

click image to see a movie of Galaxy No. 3 in motion.

The Galaxy Series of sculptures is inspired in part by David Smith's sculptures Australia and Royal Bird. But I also enjoyed the comment left by Craig Ross when I first posted images of the piece, which he called "Souped-up and Mondrian reminiscent."

 

click thumbnail to view larger images of previous work in this style.

 

I love the way these abstracts are open to various interpretations. In one glance, you might see stars, planets and moons. In another, perhaps a fish. Yet another look suggests a man riding a boat… the way these different interpretations play off of one another is what really drives the poetic essence of each sculpture, at least for me. I end up with visions of a sailor riding a fish across the sky.

Galaxy No. 3 is far too large to send FedEx Ground, so give me a call to arrange delivery or freight. I'm quite happy to deliver and install the sculpture for a reasonable charge within Michigan or the Chicago area. For longer trips, we can mutually decide a reasonable delivery fee. If you're interested, email me to discuss details.

 

Galaxy No. 3, Wind Vane Sculpture 2005
medium	Steel
size	139" high x 133" long x 14" at the base NOTE: because the vane spins, the effective width/length is a radius of 133".
price	$7,800.00 plus shipping/installation
	Purchase item for $7,800 Call 231.584.2710 or email to arrange delivery and installation.