I recently completed two art pieces to be installed in Loveland, the micro real estate project in Detroit founded by Jerry Paffendorf. Last year I purchased two 50 square inch plots of land in Loveland for $1 per sq. inch, and, since that time, I have been considering how I could use them as outdoor art exhibition spaces.
Originally I had conceived to have 100 miniature metal squirrels fabricated. However, after months of tracking down someone to do the work, my negotiations did not pan out. As an artist, I often think about how it would be to "mass produce" my works, and I thought this would be a cool option to explore for Loveland. However, in every case where my imagination exceeds practicality, I am brought back to "what I do" rather than expanding into production-line art.
What I do is make simple pieces, be they performative or artistic, with the materials I have at hand. My aesthetic is highly concentrated around the DIY ethos, and it is in this sphere that I have realized my greatest successes. So with that in mind, I took my squirrel stencil (originally cut and used for public street art), I had some 10" pieces of steel cut, and I made signs to fit on my Loveland land.
The two pieces for Loveland are:
Our Squirrels Were Still There (in Loveland) 3 x 10" x 8" steel panel with automotive paint
and
Squirrel vs. Squirrel 3 x 10" x 8" steel panel with automotive paint
I am excited about the pieces being installed in Detroit, which inspired the use of steel and automotive paint as materials. While this will represent 10 squirrels in Loveland, it is a start towards the realization of 100 squirrels. Stay tuned for how I accomplish the other 90. For now, happy to have this up.
My squirrels have arrived in Detroit and will be installed in Loveland shortly.
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