Monday, March 25, 2019

Bernheim Trolls

Monday, March 18, Meg and I decided to go check out the new art at Bernheim Arboretum.  That morning, I heard the news that Stephen Powell had died.  He was the glass artist and professor at my Alma Mater Centre College.  It was a real blow to the KY art scene to lose one of its most successful artist.
 A lot of other people had the same idea to go Troll hunting that day.  The first one was easy to find - he was right beside the road as you drive in.
 His name is Little Nis...
 … and he is the troll equivalent to Narcissus, I guess.
 His Mom, Loumari, was a little harder to find. Her hangout is over behind Paul Fields' "Snail".
 She's "expecting".
 They're so big and so much work went into them!

 It looks like the Blair Witch was her interior decorator... lot's to see.
 This brass plaque has the whole story behind the trolls.  You'll just have to go check it out for yourself....
 Loumari's daughter was the hardest to find.  Her name is Elina, and she's playing with big rocks (my kind of girl...)
 It looks like they didn't finish their final installation.  We had picked that day hoping to watch the artist, Thomas Dambo from Denmark, and his crew at work.  But, they'd already left that morning for their next gig in China.

This is Paul's "snail".  It was getting some attention, too.  I was surprised by the large crowds for a Monday.  The person at the visitor's center said that the traffic was backed all the way to the highway that weekend.  This installation of 3 trolls has gotten more public attention than any art event ever held in the State of Kentucky.  Art should bring joy to the public and motivate them to get out and experience it - that's the true spirit behind "Public Art".

Friday, March 1, 2019

Upgrades for "Enthusiasm" and "Zephyr"

As you can see in these pictures, it's still that "cold, dark and wet" style of Kentucky winter.  But, spring is less than a month off!
 Meg used her crane truck to move "Enthusiasm" and it's new base out of the studio.
 The base block has raised stars carved all over it.  This block of stone was the piece cut from "Determination" by the chainsaw as shown on the YouTube video.
 The sculpture also got some major upgrades; it has feathers carved into the front flames and other refinements.
 The final piece measures 93" high x 22" x 18" overall.
 It will sell for $4,800.00.
 "Zephyr" also had a base made for it and was moved outside on the same day as "Enthusiasm".
 The base has pillow-like bush textured clouds to complement the polished gusts of wind that propel the Magic Carpet seat.
 It measures 33" wide x 18" deep x 28" high and weighs approx. 1,200 lbs.
It will sell for $2,800.00.  I will post improved photos when everything starts to "green" up and the sun comes back out from behind rain clouds.