Client: Coffee Connection

Location: Decatur, IL, United States

Completion date: 2016

Artwork budget: $4,000

Project Team

Artist

Darren Miller

Artist

Nick Wood

Overview

This kinetic sculpture is 6’6” tall and 3’ in diameter. The base is anchored to the ground and the piece will withstand hurricane force winds. The base material is hot rolled steel and is then finished with a high quality automotive paint system including; acid etching primer, bondo and sand, two part epoxy primer, color layer, clear coat, color work, finally, two solid layers of clear over everything.

Goals

A coffee shop that maintains a sculpture garden for the relaxation and entertainment of both their customers and the community wanted a signature piece to enhance their collection. Through consultation it was decided that a work that represented the apotheosis of the artists ouvre would be the perfect fit. Colors were selected that would contrast well with the preexisting color pallet. Size and height were established to fit the flow of the environment. Theft was also a concern and locking mechanisms were included to prevent easy removal. During installation is was stated ‘this is perfect for this spot’.

Process

The collaboration process was fairly simple, the clients were interested in a piece that represented the work that the artist creates. Given the freedom to consider what might come next, a piece was created that expressed this freedom.

Additional Information

This project was a blast. The clients were a joy to work with and they were open to the concept of allowing me, as an artist, to explore the boundries of what I can do. It is people like this that allow art to flourish in a community. Thank you Julie and Trevor, Darren Miller.