Mike Roig, Sculpture

The Texas Two Step: Avian Edition

 

November 23, 2019

 

 

My opening image for this commission is a photoshop mash up of the simple

penciled map of the proportions I'll need to work with and a ghosted on overlay of the

sculpture that inspired my clients to ask for the commissioned sculpture they seek. We have

agreed that I will work to create a unique variation on a theme of that original piece.

 

 

The scale is to be increased to seventeen feet in height. The materials as

with the last two commissions documented on these pages will be all stainless steel. One difference

I know right off the bat is that each of the two revolving armatures will carry four tiers of bird

shapes rather than the three of the original inspiration.

 

   

 

Another change is in the sillouette of the birds. Google tells me the state bird of Texas is the

mockingbird, regular - and entertaining - aerobatic visitors to our feeders here at the studio. A quick consult

with my trusty Roger Tory Peterson Guide and I drew up a slightly simplified sillouette - simplified

in part because with 150 - 200 of these shapes to be dealing with I'm not anxious

to risk daily skewering with sharp pointed stainless steel plumage.

 

A more important consideration is to maximize the aerodynamics of what I'll need

these shapes to provide in pulling the kinetic elements around. By filling in the gaps between

feathers I give the form slightly more resistance on the concave side while affecting

the convex side very little.

 

 

 Scale-wise, there will be 12 inches  of clearance between the support rings,

so the shapes themselves will need to measure about

nine inches across once shaped.

 

 

Well, I think the thinking part of this project is ready to move towards some fabrication. To that end

the steel yard just delivered the linear elements I'll be working with to both build the armatures that

will hold the birds, and those that will provide the substructure for the base. I've had a conversation

with them about getting the bird shapes laser cut, but as that is down the road a bit yet I'm going to

sit with those shapes for now.

 

I've also found some very nice stainless steel hubs to work with for the

bearing settings. First up will be to build a work stand at ground level to support the two amatures

at the exact relationship of width and offset heights so I can work on them at ground level. But

that's for another day - one with less rain. The stage is set.