Featured Projects
WILLIS TOWER, 233 S WACKER DRIVE, CHICAGO, IL | 2020
OLAFUR ELIASSON
ATMOSPHERIC WAVE WALL, 2020
POWDER COATED STEEL, STAINLESS STEEL, ALUMINUM
Atmospheric wave wall provides free and accessible world-class art to the heart of downtown Chicago at Willis Tower. A triumph of engineering, the 65' long by 40' high wall is comprised of 1,963 powder-coated stainless steel tiles spanning West Jackson Boulevard at S Wacker Drive.
Special thanks to STUDIO OLAFUR ELIASSON | RLE PARTNERS | WILLIS TOWER
Constellation at River Point, Chicago
RIVER POINT, 444 W LAKE STREET, CHICAGO, IL | 2020
SANTIAGO CALATRAVA
CONSTELLATION, 2020
PAINTED ALUMINUM
An installation feat - Calatrava's towering red spiral showcases the challenges of sculpture and material. The project came across our desks in 2018, and with great effort by the engineers, fabricators, and owners, the sculpture sections arrived in Chicago starting July 2020.
Special thanks to MARLBOROUGH GALLERY | HINES | STEVE BICKLEY | AMECO USA | MCQ FINE ART
Chazen museum of art, university of wisconsin-madison | 2020
james watrous
“printing is the inseparable companion of achievement”
oil on masonite, 2-by-4 inch lumber frame
91 1/2 H x 215 W x 4 D inches
Collection registrar at the Chazen Museum of Art (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Andrea Selbig, contacted us to accept the challenge of moving a 500 lb. painting buried in a cinder block wall. This exceptional mural, executed on masonite over a 2 x 4 inch frame nailed into the wall, needed to be removed from inside the entrance of a 150-year old printing company. It would then need to be transported to the Museum 3 miles away in the cold of a Wisconsin winter. Then thread it through a narrow window and hung 19' high on their historic limestone wall.
Prior to our arrival, Andrea's team covered the surface with Dartek. We then added a layer of 1" thick honeycomb cardboard to further protect the painted surface. Building a wooden crate was not an option because it would add unnecessary weight. Drywall was removed from the front side of the wall to reveal the studs and at the back, we carefully chiseled out the cinder blocks to reveal nailed in wooden cleats. Before walking the mural on to two Sumner lifts, we stiffened the structure with an additional lumber frame. It was then lowered on to dollies to be rolled down the hall to be prepared for transport.
With no convenient docks at either location, we discussed the move with Kristy Jeffcoat, Senior Paintings Conservator at Midwest Art Conservation Center out of Minneapolis. "Can we move it on an open trailer in 25 degree weather?" Yes, she said, you have one hour! Insulation was placed between the studs on the verso and the whole structure was wrapped in ripstop plastic. The mural was loaded indoors and swiftly driven to the museum.
Upon arrival at the Chazen, we rolled it off the trailer, up a ramp and into position facing a narrow opening. Shuffling around three lifts, it was thread through a window with 1/2" to spare -- top and bottom. Time from the warehouse to through the window was 56 minutes.
Hanging from the lifts, the mural was maneuvered into position below the previously installed French cleats on the wall. The nice thing about a mural built on a 2 x 4 frame is that with excellent care and skill, we were able to tie into the sides of the frame to lift it into position. As luck would have it, there were doors at either side of the hanging points to push our lifts through -- letting us get as close to the wall as possible. From the scissor lift, the cardboard and Dartek were removed. Kristy and Midwest Art Conservation Center will return to complete restoration and the Chazen team will install surrounding finish trim for the mural in the near future.
Watch this stop-motion video made by the University of the mural's unveiling.
May 2020: M&M full newsletter
HUNTER MUSEUM OF ART, CHATTANOOGA, TN | 2019
ALYSON SHOTZ “ALL EQUATIONS ARE WAVE EQUATIONS”
One of the greatest excitements of 2019 was the two week installation of Alyson Shotz's new permanent sculpture, "All Equations are Wave Equations" at the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga, TN.
Project requirements: 2 x URW295 Spyder Cranes, 2 lifts and a zillion clamps and screwdrivers.
Everyone was a contortionist to put this together with thousands of tiny 6-32 x 1/2" screws. With a fantastic team to work with, we were grateful for Jon Newman and Nandini Makrandi at the Hunter Museum. And an extra round of applause to Frank "3D modeling" Corr from Shotz Studio and "Cool" Jeff Gore from Kammetal without whom we would probably still be there!
Visit Alyson Shotz's website to learn more about her work and the project at the Hunter Museum, www.alysonshotz.com
O’Hare International Airport, Transfer Station, Chicago, IL | 2018
Rob Ley, “field lines”
Carlson Baker Arts, LLC
July 2018: Out of the blue we got a call from an old friend, John Baker of Carlson Baker Arts. Could we install a sculpture consisting of 4,500 aluminum blades, 300 feet by 25 feet, which requires drilling 9,000 holes, inserting drywall anchors, and missing all the studs? All in 4 weeks, nonetheless!In October 2018, the result was Rob Ley's "Field Lines" at the new O'Hare Car Rental Center. One of the largest public sculptures that most Chicagoans will never see. But have a look anyway.
Watch this video of the full sculpture
