Client: Price Sculpture Forest

Overview

CONCEPT:  

Flying fish transform forest into underwater kelp forest. “I used to dream of flying as if I were swimming.” Feel invited to experience what it’s like to walk through this underwater world without additional breathing devices and experience this specific moment of time as this school of fish swim by.

The feeling is of being here at the right place at the right time. There is no coincidence. There is a glimpse of the past, present and future in the forms. There is a connection between these times. There is a connection between generations. Together they form one large fish like form, made up of many fish and the negative space, which is shaped together.

Flying Fish dimensions are 26 by 10 feet.The sculpture is made out of treated aluminum and coated with a high gloss powdercoat. This gloss mirrors the forest and sense of water moment. It is suspended between the trees. The forest is transformed into an underwater scene. The trees remind us of vertically growing kelp and algae.

Initial ideas were sparked through a series of sketches with appeared like indigenous, tribal like fish forms. The overal idea was to create a massive sculpture that could transform into a single line when walking underneath it.

Goals

Pricen Sculpture Forest is freely accessible to the public. The goal was to create a piece that would inspire the visitor. The overall shape of Flying Fish is semi-figurative. They resemble a school of fish swimming through the trees. Both the positive and negative spaces mimic fish like forms.

The forms have tribal connotations that simply emerged as I made the life size charcoal sketches in my Amsterdam studio. I was tuned into the Sculpture Forest and let my body create the forms.

Process

Scott Price contacted me about the sculpture forest. Fish formed in the initial sketches and they were flying. As intuitive process the fish forms felt tribal, reminding me of indigenous forms. The forest transformed into an underwater forest. Like in my dreams, where I was flying as if I were swimming.

We closely worked virtually together. As an international project, adjustments required close teamwork. European vs US measurement standards and a nine hour time frame to start. As the largest areal installation that the forest has ever had, we had to figure out how to suspend this piece.

The process started with my 1:1 charcoal sketch, see video. This helped decisions as it went digital. The CAD file was prepared for laser cutting. All transportation was done by laser fabricator. It was trucked to a nearby powder coater. The cut aluminum panels were treated and coated with a clear glossy coat to protect it and add the water element. It arrived to the sculpture forest where it was received by 3 volunteers of the Sculpture Forest. After assembled by volunteers it took 10 volunteers to hoisted into the air supported by two trees where it is hanging today.

Additional Information

This project was created virtually because of Covid travel restrictions. The artist, Daniella Rubinovitz is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Fabrication was done locally in WA where it was transported by truck to the installation site. Local volunteers installed the piece while Daniella oversaw it via Whattsap video communications.