Demiurge In Production of 3rd David Griggs Sculpture

Proposal rendering for CJC public art projectDavid Griggs’ sculptures can be seen all over town, from DIA’s Dual Meridian to Time Vanes off the viaduct into Denver, across from Coors Field.  Later this year, another of Griggs’ creations will be hanging in the Colorado Justice Center lobby.  Demiurge is finishing up pre-production and will be fabricating this next sculpture over the summer.

In this first phase, Demiurge is creating the necessary casting molds and fiberglass lay-up forms for the composite elements and processing the rolled steel elements that make up the internal armature.  Prep work is finishing up to begin production for a September 2012 installation.   

Demiurge has been fortunate to have worked with Griggs on two other projects as well, his Aurora Akimbo and Verve.     

About Aurora Akimbo

Aurora AkimboKnown for creating works that are in tune with the site's architecture and use, Aurora Akimbo in Expo Park, Aurora, CO, was inspired by its recreational aspects and as the gateway to Aurora.  Expo Park celebrates Colorado’s natural beauty, while revealing the transition from mountains to plains at the entrance of Aurora.  The design consists of three large sculptural elements at the northern edge of the Park, rising 24 feet above ground.  

About Verve

Created as public art for the Diagnostic Medicine Center (“DMC”) at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, Verve takes an environmental approach to representing Veterinary Sciences. Inspired by activities and images associated Vervewith the DMC, the unifying theme of this public art design is the capacity for growth. The terrazzo floor design was inspired by the exotic and beautiful formations of bacteria growth in petri dishes. An offshoot of this design are images that stem from the activity of electrons in a cloud chamber.  The design for the trellis planters reinvents an early architectural concept of bringing large plants into atrium.  The trellises arise from a crescent-shaped floor planter, adding to the representations of growth in the atrium space.

 About David Griggs

David Griggs has lived and worked in Colorado for over 35 years. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder with a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts. Griggs has worked in many capacities in the arts, including gallery manager, museum preparatory, and studio artist. For the last 25 years he has been self-employed as a Public Artist, designing and building work for percent-for-art, public art, and private commissions. Griggs has created over 45 commissioned works of art in the United States and Canada. These have including projects for several cities, states, corporations and individuals. Recent commissions include projects for Albuquerque, Anchorage, Boulder, Chicago, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, Hope, Jacksonville, Madison, Santa Fe, Toronto, and Washington. 

Will Ryman’s ‘Bird’ Is Multiplying at Demiurge

After fabricating more than 4,500 nails in Demiurge’s studio to create Will Ryman’s ‘Bird’ and then shipping it to New York’s Paul Kasmin Gallery for his solo show ‘Anyone and No One’, a run of editions are now in the works.  

Fabrication of 2-foot tall 'Bird" edition.Demiurge will create several more editions of ‘Bird’ throughout the year, including a series of the original 12-foot version as well as 6-foot and 2-foot editions.  A few of which will be traveling to China for the Hong Kong International Art Fair, May 17th-20th.

The opening of his “Anyone and No One” exhibit marked a first for Ryman and Paul Kasmin Gallery, as he was the first artist to exhibit in both gallery spaces, located at 293 Tenth Avenue and 515 West 27th Street, simultaneously.

In an interview with White Hot Magazine for a March story, Ryman gives some insight to his style and how the rose along with the use of nails create the artistic contradiction Ryman has become known for.  “Well it’s romance, the elite, sophisticated, but also probably the most recognized flower globally,” said Ryman about the choice of the rose. “My work has always been about contradictions, about absurdism, and the human condition…You take a cold, hard material which references aggression and crucifixion, and I make it almost appear soft, that was my intention.”

Ryman’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at solo shows at 7 World Trade Center, New York; The Saatchi Gallery, London; the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York;  and P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, New York, among others.  A writer turned artist, Ryman’s work is also heavily influenced by the works of absurdest playwrights and philosophers. He is represented by Paul Kasmin Gallery. 

Demiurge Completes Sculpture Restoration for World-Renowned Artist, Sebastián.

It's always a pleasure to work with one of the greats as Demiurge had the great opportunity to restore, "Untitled," a series of 3 sculptures from Sebastián’s catalog of large scale public sculpture.

Sebastian RestorationSebastián is considered one of Mexico's foremost living sculptors. He has gained a world-wide reputation for his large sculptures which have been commissioned by municipalities around the globe. The GSA (U.S. General Services Administration) Art in Architecture Program, which owns the artwork, oversees the commissioning of artworks for federal buildings nationwide. Demiurge was brought on by McKay Lodge, the GSA conservation contract holder, to restore and re-install the sculpture in a new location.

Demiurge de-installed, media blasted to eliminate the existing coating and corrosion, performed body work and then worked with Onsite Coatings to recoat the sculptures with a catalyzed paint system. Demiurge also collaborated with KL&A Structural Engineers for the structural design of a new base and foundation system. Just recently completed, the sculpture will be placed in storage until the construction of the new location is complete.

The GSA Art in Architecture Program oversees the commissioning of artworks for new federal buildings nationwide, with a purpose to enhance the civic meaning of federal architecture and showcase the vibrancy of American visual arts. Together, the art and architecture of federal buildings create a lasting cultural legacy for the people of the United States. GSA reserves one-half of one percent of the estimated construction cost of each new federal building to commission project artists. A panel composed of art professionals, civic and community representatives, the project’s lead design architect, and GSA staff meets to discuss opportunities for artists to participate in the building project.

McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory, Inc. is a very large and diverse art conservation company operating the Ohio Conservation Center near Oberlin, Ohio. Outside of managing large government art conservation contracts and serving Midwest museums, art conservation services are also available to a limited extent to the public. The art conservation center was established in 1989.