Aurora Beck Recreation Center Lobby Entrance

You’re welcome to contact the sculptor for more details and images at artist@chinacatsunflower.net

The Installation is Complete!

"Under the Swimming Pool"


The sculpture installation of 41 fused glass pieces and 5 swimming figures is in place.  The figures are swaying and dancing in a whimsical wave of colored light and shadows.  Suspended over 15-feet overhead, the installation extends from the entrance vestibule, through a glass-paned wall and into the lobby -- 44-feet in total length.


The figures promote a full sense of well-being, the happy balance between body and spirit.  The activities and facilities of the Recreation Center focuses on building healthy living alongside building community, culture and leisure pursuits.  The proposed artwork mirrors those values.

Installation Day

Images of the installation:

It's Going to be WAY up there!

A look at the space during the construction.  As you can tell, it's going to involve lifts and tall-tall-tall ladders.

That's me, Dan Mills of Extreme Signs and Dave of Adolphson & Peterson Construction.  Deana Miller took the photos.





 Installation Details

Scheduled for January 17, 18 & 19, the installation will begin.  The first effort will be install the aluminum framework.  A six-man crew with dry wall lift and ladders will hoist four frames and secure using a specialized 'HangerMate' anchor designed to bolt to steel box beams.  The frames will suspend on a 3/8" threaded rod.  All components have been powder coated with Cardinal powder BG-290.

The glass wave uses three aluminum glass clips.  Those are tied by three cables to a center disc.  The center disc is tied to a frame connector.  All these components were designed by the artist and approved by a public engineer, Censpace Structural Engineering.  Majestic Metals of Denver fabricated the hardware components with a computerized laser cutter.

In total, 43 glass pieces have been pre-assembled using the 'Wave Diagram'.  From the center disc the artist estimated the slope and pitch of each piece.  Each piece is numbered and has a specific location in the installation.

Here are a few more images pertaining the glass and hardware.

It is estimated that the first day will involve hanging the frames and roughly placing all the glass and figurative elements.  In the second and third day will be move, tweek and adjust the locations and height of the creative elements.
 

Wave Diagram
The wave diagram has been created to help the installation... COMING SOON in mid-January.

The four frames will be hung in the drywall area above the windows (10" below ceiling height).   Each frame will have a different set of connection points.


The cables for the glass between the frames and the center discs will all be the same at 20" below the frames.  To create the wave pattern, the diagram will help in the preparation for the glass by providing an estimate of the angle the corresponding glass will hang.


This is a difficult document to read from the blog post.  Please request by email if you would like to receive a full image.



 The Glass Wave
Made of fused glass, 46 glass pieces were created in the artist's studio and fired (especially when it's cold!).  The wave begins with yellow and passes in a  rainbow of reds, oranges, blues, purples and greens.  The floating installation will extend 44-feet in total.

After the Powdercoating
Figures shown at Tri-Lakes Art Center

The figures were finished using a process not common to most powder coat processes.  The first pass uses two colors feathered together.  A second application of artist's painted enamel applies the 'details'.  A third pass finishes the work with a clear mixed with a gold fleck.  Truly extraordinary in person.

Swimming Creatures
Before the powdercoating....

 

The Model

The scaled model of 1" equals one-foot shows the location of the artwork.  Considerations for the model is that the glass work will align in a more representative 'wave' pattern.

It’s upside-down,
Or am I?
Blues, reds, greens, yellow, swishing
I think my eye in motion,
A whimsical sigh,
A smile greets,  giggle
A playful hello
The image comes together then parts.
Swimming, under the pool.

   

                   
“Underwater Swimming Pool”

For the Beck Recreation Center, I propose to create a playful image from the underside of the pool.  Figures dancing, swimming, enjoying the sensation of exercise.  The figures reaching, welcoming visitors into the center.  Color and light delights the eye, creating a visual sensation of change and growth.

The figures promote a full sense of well-being, the happy balance between body and spirit.  The activities and facilities of the Recreation Center focuses on building healthy living alongside building community, culture and leisure pursuits.  The proposed artwork mirrors those values.

The proposed artwork uses materials, colors and installation methods that reflect the architecture of the new construction.  The modern and contemporary materials constructed of steel and glass soften the formal geometric forms of the building. The colors bring surprise to the interior design with it’s subtle “transition” of color leading the visitor along the entrance corridor. Portions of the installation may be previewed from the exterior locations. The materials, colors and installation are designed to interact with the natural and electrical light sources throughout the day and evening hours, creating a different, ever-changing visual presentation.

In modern culture, the time to recreate and focus on one-self’s well-being is often on stolen time.  The changing roles of parenthood, adulthood, and economic pressures seep into the corners of every moment, cramming each day with “to-do’s”.  This sculptural installation is meant to be light-hearted, lifting the spirit and easing those pressures, at least for a moment, until the repetitions begins.

 

City of Aurora's Art in Public Places Commission

Mission
To create a legacy of quality public art by building and maintaining a collection that enriches and engages the community of Aurora.
Vision
The City of Aurora Art in Public Places Program enables the City of Aurora to establish a unique identity and to contribute to the civic pride of the community. The public art collection of various media and styles reinforces and expands Aurora’s commitment to improve the aesthetic character of its public places. Public art in Aurora encourages interaction and meaningful connections among diverse communities while educating people about the value of the arts in their community.

https://www.auroragov.org/AuroraGov/Departments/LibraryAndCulturalServices/CulturalServices/ArtinPublicPlaces/434634?ssSourceNodeId=970&ssSourceSiteId=621