Client: Artist Uprising

Overview

“Piqué,” a public sculpture on display in the Yard at the Bayshore Mall development. At the main entrance to The Yard, a 10′ tall dancer can be found, en pointe, caught in a moment of fluid motion and extension. She evokes movement, freedom, and joy. Made of bent steel she stands firmly grounded and yet defies gravity and weight with her effortless pose. Rooted in the past, honoring the present, and reaching for the future with grace, she represents what Bayshore is and can be for the community. Piqué truly inspires a place for music, dancing, gathering, and celebration of life.

Goals

Our goal in creating this piece was to inspire a place for music, dancing, gathering, and celebration of life.

Process

As with all my projects they start with a hand-drawn sketch. Quickly jotting high-level concepts down allows the raw form to be established. The flow and overall rough story can be developed and define rules for the rest of the intricacies. Near the final design, the drawings go into Sketch-Up. There are several things being considered here from final overall height, if building in sections is necessary, to transportation and installation. We had a small team of multidisciplinary artists employed on this project. We created 3d models of the figure from my initial sketches and then used a CNC to create the armature. We were able to keep the pattern organic and not repeat while making sure the proportions of the figure were correct using the armature. Then we sliced our tack welds that held the metal patterns together vertically, splitting the piece open to allow removal of the armature. Then on to piecing everything back together and final welds.

Additional Information

Special thanks: Emma Daisy Jackson Lahaie Owen Lahaie Kelly West Credit: Eric Purdue Filmmaker + Photographer + Editor https://www.roosedmedia.com