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Art/Sculpture
Objects specifically designed as art or sculpture, to include fountains, statues, etc.
Gold Winner:
Medwedeff Forge & Design
Murphysboro, Illinois
This 26.5' tall and 19' x 9' sculpture was designed by the fabricator and was commissioned by a real estate developer for a commercial and retail development near the State Capital. The artwork and construction methodology was realized by working through a series of scale models, prior to full scale fabrication. All of the patterns were digitalized and scaled accordingly, then laser and plasma cut from 3/16", 3/8", 1/2", and 1 1/2" thick steel. Most of the forming was done in a 10' wide pyramid roll. All components of the forms were assembled into larger sections that could then be hoisted into position for final welding as the sculpture was vertically constructed within a custom designed scaffolding system. The surface was sanded smooth and rusted, then clear coated. Loading, shipping, and installation in one fabricated piece, less the base, required tremendous effort of planning and logistics. The installation, which was completed in two hours, went as planned.
Full scale construction took approximately 1,600 hours.
Silver Winner:
Compass Ironworks
Gap, Pennsylvania
A past client wanted a heart sculpture for a photo op for the bride and groom at a wedding facility. The design team selected this intertwining heart sculpture. The Compass Ironworks team proposed everything to be in aluminum. They also wanted a brushed bronze finish. Everything was drawn in CAD and presented to the client for approval. The fabrication was somewhat complex with the sculpture being different widths and various helixes. The Compass Ironworks team had their biggest fabrication challenge with the difficult knot at the bottom, but that challenge was mild once the team got into finishing. The paint company stated "We don’t know what the sculpture is like, but the finish will be every bit a piece of art as the sculpture itself." The Compass Ironworks team considered this project to be a serious ordeal. It was an eight-step process with plenty of trial and error for three weeks. In the end, the client was overjoyed.
This project took 326 hours, including 103 in finishing.
Bronze Winner:
Custom Metals Inc.
Madison, Wisconsin
This sculpture was fabricated using nickel silver on a stainless steel support structure with hand-blown glass elements. Custom Metals Inc. received the unusual request to mimic a kelp bed; organic shapes with bubbles and bits of flotsam, as seen to the right. The architect had a clear idea of what was wanted, but not quite how to get there. After reviewing a number of paper mock-ups, the parameters were set. Each piece of "kelp" was hand-cut, formed into a shallow, flowing dish and curved back on itself. The textures are mirror polished or non-directional satin over the planished faces.
The Custom Metals Inc. team faced a challenge. They had to mount these irregular pieces to the structural grid without losing the "natural" form or letting the structural members be seen. If that wasn't a significant challenge in itself, they also had to install anchors in the unfinished, waving, pitched ceiling, such that the stainless cables would hang dead plumb. No turnbuckles were used.
This project took approximately 600 man hours.
