“FIRST BASE” ARTIST STATEMENT
First Base (Select on image to see location map).
This large steel flower is called first base for two reasons. In order to move forward in any relationship a gift of flowers always helps the progression of the relationship forward. Second this was my first attempt at making a large in size and weight base for a sculpture. Over half of the total weight of this piece of art is at the bottom. At __60__ pounds out of___120_, it is heavy. Made from ford, dodge and a tractor pressure plate I created a sturdy base to raise a flower from. Starting with two pieces of 1968 Cadillac exhaust pipes I made the stem. I continued with a chair back split in two for some leaves .The flower itself was composed from a metal farming disk, dulled out drill bits, and pieces from the disk that were cut out from the disk. The flower ‘s center is higher than five and half feet from the ground way above eye level for most people.
“ First base “ stability & safety
Safety wise I don’t see this piece of art ever tipping over because of the center of gravity. It has stood on a sloped hill for two years and not moved in any weather condition. The base is __15 ½ inches_ in diameter and __60__ pounds alone. There are no sharp edges on this piece to endanger the public. Even though I used drill bits for part of the flowers stamen .All of the bits had the tips ground off and rounded. All of the detail of the flower is hard to see up close because of its height. For most people to enjoy the beauty of this piece they would have to stand back about four feet from the sculpture. This is a safety feature for the reason that viewing is from a far; there would not be s gathering of people up close at one time
Arist Statement/Bio:
I am a recycled metal artist . I have been creating sculpture for about 10 years now. I have always been a reuser. I make complete usable pedal bikes , water fountains , chairs, benches, wall hangings and free standing sculpture. I ususaly start with a piece that reminds me of something and whatever it be that the piece reminds me of is how I will begin to tackle that sculpture. I am continuing to create from my house with findings from dumpster-diving adventures. With great drive and lots of passion to create, I plan on sculpting things that people can enjoy while helping to diminish the amount of debris that goes into the landfill.