Originally posted in April 2021
We asked local artist Lindsay Huff to give the Etna community a description of her upcoming sculpture, which will be installed at the Etna EcoPark next month. In her own words, Lindsay described her process for us:
“After the Arts and Parks Committee collaboratively settled on a design for the pair of sculptures, my next step was to translate them from sketches and digital mockups to physical metal components. Because the sculptures were too big to be created in my home art/jewelry studio, I brought my drafts to Ken Kotchey of K&I Sheet Metal in Sharpsburg. His sister, Lisa Kotchey, is an incredible jeweler who I've worked for in the past, and it was a joy to collaborate with craftsmen who would take the project seriously and to support a business in the Triboro. A few weeks and consultations later, the aluminum frames and bases were finished and gleaming. I next collaborated with a friend and fellow artist, Adam Shreckhise, to design the moveable copper and nylon spines that fit inside the leaves. A puzzle of technical issues, we finally created a system of inner and outer tubes that would resist weather corrosion and be able to withstand being heated to 1,500°F during the soldering and enameling stages of panel creation. With the sculpture frames finished, we were able to space them out at the EcoPark while the rain garden was being excavated and set the bases into concrete so that they'll be ready for final installation."
"The current state of the project is another digital to analogue translation, this time taking my digital drawings and cutting out copper panels that will be able to rotate inside the aluminum frames (see image above). The panels will feature colorful vitreous enamel glass fused to them in spring colors like blue, yellow, and green, with contrasting imagery made from Etna residents' submitted art!”
We are beyond excited to see the final product come together! The sculpture, complete with contributions from Etna residents, will represent our community’s commitment to sustainability and green infrastructure in a beautiful way.