Stoke

Forged & fabricated painted steel, 22' x 10' x 7'

The environment surrounding this site is a somewhat bleak concrete-and-brick urban valley. My graceful organic lines and forms stand in strong contrast. The sculpture’s 22' height gives it a soaring appearance on a sparse streetscape. Since steel is my primary medium (and as a Tennessean by birth), I am aware of the significant role iron production played in the history of Knoxville and East Tennessee. Ironworking is an ancient tradition that became the essence of the Industrial Revolution, coinciding with the birth of Knoxville. The two distinctly geometric forms, with their exposed mechanical fasteners and lapped joints emerging from the sculpture’s organic lines, are a subtle reference to this part of Knoxville's origins.

Commissioned by Arts Knoxville for Downtown Knoxville, Tennessee (International competition, 2018)