Decision factors for switching metal for sculptures

When the metal fabricators for my sculpture suggested switching to aluminum from steel, and from laser-cut to water-cut, I had several questions. I needed to research these things to find the switch acceptable. I’m familiar with molten aluminum from casting sculptures but I've never worked with sheet aluminum. I'm sure more questions will come up as we proceed but here's what I started with:

• Why are the fabricators suggesting a thicker aluminum (1/4 inch) instead of thinner steel (1/8 inch)? In what ways is 1/4 inch aluminum equivalent to 1/8 inch steel?

• What is a comparison of aluminum and steel on durability, strength, and impact resistance?
• Does the fabricator have example photos of their previous cut sheet aluminum at this thickness that I can compare to steel?

• I'm familiar with laser cut metal, but what kind of edge does water cutting aluminum leave? Are there any burrs on the far side? How clean is the cut edge?

• I know cast aluminum has fracturing issues especially when thin. I’d like to know if there are any restrictions on how small an area of aluminum I can put in my design without risking fracturing under normally expected impacts. I’d also like to know if directionality of the shapes is an important factor at all with respect to fracturing.

• Does the fracturing of aluminum change with age and exposure to weather?
• What are the different possible surface finished for sheet aluminum? Smooth, brushed, etc.

• What is the comparable cost of a sheet of aluminum and a sheet of steel?
• Related to cost is it attractive for people to steal aluminum? Will the switch to aluminum make it more likely that someone would steal the sculpture for scrap metal?
• Attachment method: If we switch to aluminum what attachment methods can be used and what can't be used?

• Are there aluminum alloys that are better for outdoor use like there are with steel?

• I want to see and touch a sample of the sheet aluminum in the thickness proposed. I want to take this sample with me. I need that tangible object to help me imagine what the final piece will look like. I'd like to cut a mockup of a portion of my design in the proposed metal.

• How does the aluminum age? What will the surface look like over time? What coating we can put on the aluminum?

• What maintenance is required for the aluminum especially if it is not coated or colored?

Shifting from Steel to Aluminum

Crucible_steel_button By Jlahorn

I chose to use steel for my sculptures for the Electra C. Doren library. But now they will be made from aluminum. Here's how I got there:

Aluminium_bar_surface_etched - by Heinrich Pniok  

I had two concerns and two goals when picking the metal. The concerns were theft, and the cost/size tradeoff. The goals were aesthetics and relevance.

Theft: Since this is an outdoor sculpture I didn't want to create a sculpture that was attractive to theft. The panels are big (about 2 feet by 4 feet) but not so big that their size would deter theft. At that size they look cartable (if you could get them out of the fence). So I didn't want to use copper, bronze, or brass since I was concerned that the value of those metals would be an invitation to theft. If I use steel, and leave it unpainted, it looks unattractive to steal. It's not worth the effort to steal it for scrap metal.

Cost / size tradeoff: The Dayton Metro Library set a budget for this project in the ReImagining Works initiative. As I chose metals I knew that the base costs are widely different. As the cost of the metal choice goes up the number of panels or the panel sizes I could create would go down. I felt that there needed to be a significant number of sculptures to complement the size of the reading terrace. I thought that one panel out of an expensive metal would not be sufficient - better to have more panels of a less-expensive metal.

Aesthetics: I wanted to use a metal that would look appropriate for the setting and steal would work well with the earthy-colored pavers, red brick of the library, and a dark colored fence. It would age well starting off bright and patina over time to a strong warm color. Plus it would not take much maintenance other than soft cleaning.

Relevance: Steel fits in with Dayton's manufacturing history perfectly. And it worked with the industrial theme of the Sheeler painting I used as inspiration.

However, in working with the Dayton Metro Library, their architects, construction company, fence installer, and fence fabricator an overriding concern became obvious. The library would get a 30-year warranty for the fence from their fence fabricator if that company was the one who fabricated and integrated my sculptures into the fence. I couldn't easily match that using my fabricator and negotiate a similar warranty with the other companies to join in a warranty - not in the time or budget allocated to me. As long as I could have artistic control and quality assurance on the fabrication it was the better decision to go with their fabricator.

Somewhere along the way as part of design changes the fence went from being a steel fence to being an aluminum fence. Plus when we considered how the panels would be attached we settled on welding. Since we're welding we didn't want to be joining dissimilar metals by welding a steel sculpture into an aluminum fence. When two dissimilar metals are connected they create an electro-chemical reaction which causes one of the metals to corrode faster. Steel and aluminum in combination outdoors are highly prone to corrosion.

So given the concerns about corrosion of dissimilar metals and the 30 year warranty we switched to making the panels out of aluminum. We lost the strong relevance to Dayton but aesthetically I've looked at the aluminum and, depending upon the finish that we use, it should be aesthetically pleasing. Cost and size still have to be worked out but they should be close. And aluminum will be no more tempting to steal than steel.

Sculptural Vision and Storytelling

The sculptures I'm creating for the ReImagining Works project for the Electra C. Doren library are a site-specific sculpture meant to become part of the library experience. I wanted to propose something that will be an integrated part of the library's reading terrace which was not built at the time of my proposal.

I could imagine the reading terrace from the architectural drawings and extend this vision to include my sculptures. I wanted the art review board reading the proposal to experience that vision and not just see sketches and read descriptions of what I was proposing to build.

I decided that telling a story would be the best approach. I thought that if I could tell a story then the people reading it could feel it in addition to seeing the sketches. I wanted them to imagine they were using the reading terrace and my sculptures were part of their story.

Here is what I included as a descriptive vision in my proposal:

"As you sit on the E.C. Doren library reading terrace, the North Dayton neighborhood you are sitting in ties you to Dayton’s industrial traditions. And so do your immediate surroundings. You are encircled by new sculptural images that unite you with that history.

To your left the sunlight pierces through an image of the heroic Memorial Hall, to your right the stalwart Reibold building reflects the setting sun, and another view gives you glimpses of the confident Dayton Daily News building. Everywhere you look around the terrace fence other inspirations are there as well. And behind you is the Electra C. Doren library, itself part of that history, restored and revitalized. 

These images are silhouette steel cutout sculptures built as an integral part of the fencing rail that borders the reading terrace, and give your library experience a sense of place. They are designed to invite you to contemplate their patterns and inspire you to be part of Dayton’s industrial spirit. Their vibrant reflections, solidity and playfulness are letting you know that the Dayton spirit of making things is still alive. "

Now that I'm reading this and imagining that setting sun I'm not sure I got it's orientation to the panels correct. Let me check out the library on Google Maps ...

Photo Credit: Google Maps

OK I got it wrong. It won't be the setting sun but the daytime southern exposure that will fall on most of the panels. The setting sun will fall on the library wall behind the terrace. I also didn't take into account what seasons of the year library patrons will actually be sitting outside reading! :^) 

Steel sculpture decisions - the magpie response

I chose to use to use sheets of #304 stainless steel alloy for my sculptures at the Electra C. Doren library. This is a steel you and I see everyday in auto trim, outdoor electrical enclosures, storage tanks, and other items you pass each day without thinking; "I wonder what that's made of?" This metal is designed for outdoor use. It will not easily rust or corrode. It is the same alloy used in the Gateway Arch in St. Louis

Photo Credit: Gateway arch
2001 Rick Dikeman

I want to use the steel in the raw state with a brushed surface. The steel will start off a shiny silver and patina over time into a deep earthy metallic gray-silver. Once the patina has settled the sculptures will be stable for many, many years. The sculptures will not require significant maintenance in this raw state. Periodic cleaning will not negatively impact them. 

I had to be practical about durability, weight, and costs. I selected steel sheets of 1/8 of an inch thick. This will be solid enough for durability and inflexible enough for fencing. At this size it won't burden the structure with weight. A panel two and a half feet by four feet will weigh approximately 57 pounds before it is cut. Given that the pattern of each panel will be different, their weights will be different. I approximate that the finished panels will weigh between 30 and 40 pounds each. This should be fine for incorporation into the fence sections. 

Aesthetically I want the sculptures to be noticeable and cause people to have the magpie response; "Oooh look - shiny metal!" and be compelled to take a closer look. It is possible to paint the metal or to apply typical fencing coatings, but I would rather not. I believe that the raw steel is the appropriate aesthetic fitting with the industrial Dayton theme. I want there to be a contrast between the fence, the environment of the terrace, the surroundings, and the piece itself.  I want it to have distinguishable boundaries and not be seen as an extension of the fence, but rather that the fence is a frame for the sculpture. 

I will work with the architects and the fence installers to see the materials that will be used for the walls, pavers, and fencing to see if the raw steel will work aesthetically with the surroundings. 

After discussing options with my friend, master sculptor Jim Mills of Sculpturecast, if raw steel does not work aesthetically with the other elements we can reduce the painting maintenance by using Imron paint by DuPont which is the same paint used on jet planes and will last without re-coating for 20+ years. Or we can choose one of the fence coatings that has similar durability. Ordinary exterior house paint will also work but that is not a good option since it would need to be repainted more frequently.

Visiting the future site of my sculptures

For my sculptures that will be part of the Electra C. Doren public library's renovation I proposed to create eight silhouette steel cutout sculptures for the fence railing of the reading terrace.

But when I wrote the proposal all I had was the descriptions in the ReImagining Works Request For Proposal (RFP) and architectural plans and elevations of the proposed library reading terrace to work from. Great information, but not really enough for what I needed. I'd never been to that branch of the library. I use the branch closer to my home and the Main branch downtown. So I had no mental image of the Electra C. Doren branch or the neighborhood or environment. I knew I was creating a site-specific piece of art and so I had to go to the site even though the terrace had not been built yet and all I was likely to see was an empty back yard.

After I saw the drawings in the RFP I had three different ideas to propose but I decided that I had to see the library to help me decide which of these three ideas was the best idea for the site. A guiding principle of ReImagining Works is that you can submit as many proposals as you like, but you should only submit proposals for work that, if you are chosen, you can actually deliver for the stated value of the commission and on time. Don't over commit, get chosen, and then not deliver. So I knew I was only going to put one proposal in. Besides I only had a month from RFP announcement to the proposal due date - hardly enough time for three proposals. After all, I do have a day-job :^). Going to the site was going to be a critical decision moment for me. Wow, was that an important thing do to.

Electra C. Doren branch library
Photo credit: Darren Kall

I immediately knew more than the drawings could convey. The space was much smaller than I imagined from the drawings. It is different to see 35 feet on a drawing and to actually see 35 feet. The drawings don't convey the lighting, the neighborhood, the surrounding trees (or lack there of), the views of the site from neighboring places, etc. All of these factored into my proposal design and decisions. Plus being there added motivation: I had to have this commission. I had to put something in this place - it was a great space that needed artwork.

Back yard of Electra C. Doren library
Photo credit: Darren Kall

One of my three ideas raised in it's importance because I saw that there were no big shade trees near the reading terrace since big trees had to be cut down to put the terrace in. And I knew that the trees in the planned landscaping would take a long time before they would cast sufficient shade for readers on the terrace. Another one of my ideas was eliminated on the spot. While it was a great idea, now that I was there, I didn't think it would be seen from outside the terrace and since the terrace was smaller than I thought there would not be enough angles to see the piece from on the terrace to show it at it's best. (I'll write more about why these ideas both got dropped in another posting.) And it was clear to me that the sculpture in the fence idea was very appropriate. The sculptures would be seen and prominent from anywhere in the terrace, from the sidewalk, and even across the side street where there was a busy parking lot for a store.

Side view of back yard of Electra C. Doren library
Photo credit: Darren Kall

In hindsight I now know that at that moment, standing there on the site, I had chosen to submit the sculptures for the fence idea. I didn't know I'd made the decision then because it took me a while to let go of the sculptural shade idea. It took learning how impractical my idea was by asking questions at an RFP artists informational  meeting held by Jane Black, Director of Engagement at The Dayton Art Institute and the project manager for ReImagining Works. (More about what I learned in another post.)

But after that onsite visit, every time I imagined the site,  I kept seeing the sculptures in the fence. 

Pretzinger as inspiration for sculpture subject

While it was not a requirement of the ReImagining Works commission I chose to have a subject inspiration as well as a style inspiration. I chose the Dayton architecture by Albert Pretzinger and his architectural firm as my subject inspiration to accompany my choice of Charles Sheeler's Stacks in Celebration as my style inspiration. 

Albert Pretzinger’s work is iconic Dayton. Pretzinger' firm designed my favorite Dayton building; Memorial Hall. The exterior is imposing and causes viewers to wonder “What’s inside?” Drawn by that curiosity I've rented Memorial Hall for my team meetings several times and have been given the backstage tour of this grand building. Dayton has valuable architectural properties like Memorial Hall and many of them are due to Pretzinger and his firm over the years.

The two inspirations tie together nicely. They share an inspirational historical time, when grand visions of the future and the promise of industry were strong American cultural motivators. They come from a time when grand public edifices and substantial human creativity were creating big changes for America.

The Electra C. Doren branch building, having been designed by Pretzinger, represents the distinctive personality of its time, and makes a perfect setting for other Dayton architectural icons. I plan to make one of the sculptures include an image of the Electra C. Doren building.

Sheeler’s fractured images of smoke stacks and buildings were influenced by cubism where viewers actively collaborated with the artwork by assembling the multi-faceted view of what they saw into a whole experience.  I’m proposing to dramatically simplify the lines of Pretzinger’s architecture into flat sculptural patterns, and to create a fractured sky behind them. This will, I hope, like Sheeler, create an engaging and collaborative viewing of the sculptures where viewers assemble the patterns of foreground and background cutouts into a whole and stimulating experience. 

Why I chose Charles Sheeler as style inspiration

For the sculptures I'm making for the Electra C. Doren library I chose a painting by Charles Sheeler as my inspiration. 

In the ReImagining Works initiative the Dayton community (and especially the library user community) voted on pieces from the Dayton Art Institute's permanent collection. They chose a small subset of pieces that they wanted the artist to pick from when they created original artwork to put in their community library.

The artists submitting proposals chose one or more of these pieces for the inspiration for their idea. The inspiration could be broadly interpreted. Any aspect of the selected artwork could be used as the source of inspiration for the proposed artwork. It could be the inspiring artist's use of color, the art historical period, the style, the theme, a particular technique, etc.

I chose the Stacks in Celebration by Charles Sheeler as the style inspiration for my proposal.

Stacks in Celebration - Charles SheelerPhoto Credit: Dayton Art Institute

I've loved the work of Sheeler since I was in art school. The sense of balance he created between representing reality and abstraction is very appealing to me and aligned with my own work. He created a tension that triggers a viewer to think “What am I seeing?” and actively participate in understanding the artwork. If you look quickly at Stacks in Celebration you see factory smoke stacks and buildings. But then something looks "wrong". He fractured the reality of industrial buildings into transparent overlaps, impossible relationships, and he has faceted the sky in colors and shapes.

By presenting simplified flat images in my sculptural cutouts I aim to create a similar tension. I want viewers to make sense of the patterns in my sculpture and assemble them into their understanding. Sheeler’s theme of industrial achievement and his precision-edged sharp angles, and flat planes are a perfect vehicle to use in sculpture, especially the clean lines and flat planar surfaces I’m proposing for my steel silhouette cutouts.