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For me, the art process is a very dynamic one; it deals with introspection. A lot of
it is self-realization. I don’t know what I’m capable of doing until I do it and the
process allows for that. I came to Rochester in 1969. My first one-person show was at the
Memorial Art Gallery. And out of that exhibition, one of the pieces was purchased by the museum.
So that was my first connection with them. Albert stands atop, in terms of artists working
not only in Rochester, but throughout the world. So that was one of our criteria, and
it was very important to us from the very beginning to include works of artists working
in Rochester. Let’s position this piece and weld it on and then we’ll do some heating
and bending. Hold it there so I can see what it looks like. Albert is doing a major installation
in New York City in 2013. We became aware of that project; we looked at some of the
proposals. There’s one that caught our eye. The piece will be stainless steel so it will
have a satin silver finish. It’s over 20 foot tall, so it’ll become a visual landmark
as you’re driving down University or Goodman Street. We thought this gesture not only enabled
us to think anew for the centennial - a centennial sculpture park - but also underscore our commitment
to Rochester. Memorial Art Gallery is one of the major cultural institutions. I think
the timing was right and especially making it for their 100th anniversary just seems
very appropriate. Specifically with this piece the title came to me of “Soliloquy”. And
obviously that’s a dialogue that you have with yourself. Hopefully when you go to a
museum that you experience something you’ve never experienced before. This folded metal
that I use a lot it’s kind of a trompe l'oeil aspect indicated motion. My work isn’t kinetic,
but I think you’re kind of experiencing the interplay of form and the dynamism of
forms. Basically a design process is very simple. It’s defining a problem and then
solving a problem. Usually I go through a bank of several hundred drawings, then they
go into a model making stage, like cardboard models that shows the 3-dimensional nature.
At that point, a metal consideration happens, structural engineering happens. Public sculpture
and outdoor sculpture, there’s a lot of different concerns you have there. One is
the context spatially – How does it relate to landscape design? How does it relate to
the building? The other aspect of scale is human scale. What’s it like when somebody
walks up to it? Is it just big and overpowering? Or is there an intimacy that can be shared?
So when you’re walking up to the piece, it continually unfolds. And also that creates
a sense of place. The whole aspect of the sculpture park is to engage the public. People
can share that, they can walk through it and have that experience and hopefully come in
and see the other collection. A production of the University of Rochester. Please visit
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