Client: Broward County Cultural Division Public Art and Design

Overview

Lefty Lucy by sculptor Joshua Wiener displays two monumental horses staking their presence at the entrance to Tradewinds Park, greeting visitors while establishing an iconic and memorable image. The sculptures are created in twisting aluminum plate forms that curve together to capture muscle, movement and strength. The horses arch and turn in a proud dignity. The two larger-than-life horses (15′ 6″ long by 4′ 6″ wide, and 12′ high) establish a memorable impression, The powder-coated finish in white with blue accents gives the illusion of rising up into the sky.

Goals

Artist Joshua Wiener was commissioned to create Lefty Lucy for the equine focused Tradewinds Park and to honor the partnership of the Park with the agricultural community. The location within a natural area of greenery not only provided beauty and placemaking to the site, but also expressed a time when horses ran free in wilderness. As the audience walks past, the layers overlap in new ways, completely reinventing the forms, always maintaining some qualities of the original view, but slowly twisting into new positions."

Process

The artist worked with the design team and Tradewinds Park to create a presence reflecting the equestrian history of this Broward County park, Joshua Wiener explained his process, "This artwork was designed through a deep exploration of the site and visiting the farm. I wanted the art to evoke the essence of the farm and set the stage for the immersive experience at Tradewinds. Tradewinds Park Stables and Farm is a place to expand with the open fields, the joy of discovery, and the connection to horses. It is a place of play, of spinning minds and skipping hearts. This artwork evokes a dreamy experience, one that flows and moves gracefully. I wanted to create something that was playful and elegant, poised and colorful. I like this artwork because it is evocative and easily discernible."

Additional Information

Joshua Wiener explained the spirited name of the massive horses. The artwork is titled “Lefty Lucy”. The name originates from Lefty being a horse’s name, and ‘lefty loosey’ is an expression (used with righty tighty). Changing the loosey to Lucy, makes it two horse’s names with a twist. With the playful nature of the space, I wanted something that was joyful and curious, and it’s fun to say! It’s just a fun play on words that I thought kids and adults both would enjoy. The horses have a stature in the space that commands a presence of fine art so having a playful name is just another layer to the experience. Joshua Wiener has been creating public art for over twenty years, and his public sculptures can be found around the country. He designs, fabricates, and installs all of his own work. Coming from a sculpting family, Joshua has a strong desire to engage the public with inspirational art. Joshua expresses “I want to be involved with creating art that will be used to give an image to a place and be a beacon for our time.”