Client: HC Brentwood Land LLC

Overview

The Developer of a multi-use complex wanted to incorporate sculpture and greenspace to soften the concrete and buildings as well as engage all ages with native animal species. They commissioned Sculptor, Geoffrey C. Smith to create the sculptures. The first cast bronze sculpture is First Love, a life size boy drawing in a sketchbook, while sitting on a 30” wall bordering a grassy area, near the fountain. The second is two life size Great Blue Herons in the fountain. First Love (boy drawing) is 45” tall by 24” wide; the Heron Duet (Heron mates) is 68” x 30”.

Goals

1. The builder/developer, H.G. Hill Realty Company, wanted to bring sculptures into the Hill Center Brentwood mixed use office, retail, and restaurant space to give a brief repass from the hustle and bustle of daily living.
2. They wanted to remind their patrons of the importance of local wildlife and the creativity of young minds.
3. To provide an eye catching, creative and fun way for children to become interested in native Tennessee wildlife.
4. They wanted to create functional, communal and human aspects of the property to nurture the lives of the people who live, work and play within them.

Process

Geoffrey collaborated with the developer to articulate the location for the work. For this sculpture, he observed a pair of nesting Great Blue Herons. “Observing a subject in its own environment allows me to create sculptures that are more lifelike in appearance and movement. I feel this study creates a deeper connection between nature and my art, then my audience and nature which is my deeper goal.”
Sketches and a small scale maquette are created and approved by the client. Then Geoffrey labors over the details. Each stroke of a tool or press of his finger transforms the warm, shapeless clay into majestic art.
Next, the sculpture moves to the foundry for the ancient lost-wax casting method. This preserves the details of the original clay sculpture using multiple molds and molten bronze heated to more than 2,100* Fahrenheit. The finished product is a work of art forever capturing the vision of the artist.
What is on the inside matters just as much as what is on the outside. Large sculptures have internal steel armature and engineer certified welds, if required. Structural mounting plates, proper bolting and more ensure the art is strong enough to endure the test of time.

Additional Information

After being involved in every detail of the creation process, Geoffrey and his team delivered and installed the sculptures in their final home in The Hill Center, Brentwood, Tennessee. The multi-use development project recently received the People’s Choice award and the Excellence in Development award in the private sector-large project category at the Urban Land Institute Nashville District Council’s (ULI Nashville) 10th annual development awards.