$25,000
Aluminum, glass, solar lights
12’w x 16’h x 10’d
From the artist:
My aim in creating Exploratory Unit 01 was to tread the fine line between a visually-engaging, abstract sculpture and a giant-insect-like-thing-from-outer-space. I began fabricating the sculpture with only a vague notion of the final form. I started with one leg–cutting, bending, and welding the aluminum into shapes that seemed interesting, and somewhat leg-like. I kept altering and experimenting until I felt that it worked visually. From that leg, I went on to create more parts, aiming to develop a balanced sense of scale, graceful curves, and a feeling that the sculpture might start moving at any moment. As a personal challenge, I tried to make each leg and arm as different as possible, while maintaining a sense of unity with the other parts. I wanted the overall form to have a somewhat mechanical quality, while also having an animal-like presence. The sculpture ended up being larger than I originally anticipated. By working with an open-ended approach, I created a sculpture with complexities and irregularities that would have been difficult to pre-plan. This was my first use of colored glass and lights in a sculpture. Throughout the process, I had the story “War of the Worlds”, by H.G. Wells, lurking in the back of my mind.
Artist bio:
Harry McDaniel was born in 1959 in Wichita, KS and now lives in Asheville, NC. Through childhood, his creativity took many forms, but it wasn’t until his mid-20’s that he began to see himself as an artist. He took a few painting and sculpture classes, but he is primarily self-taught. He received several awards in early exhibitions, then his first significant acknowledgment came in 1988 when he was commissioned to create a sculpture for the Agricultural History Park in Derwood, MD. That project deepened his interest in creating large-scale artwork for public spaces. Two fellowships from the NC Arts Council further propelled his creative exploration. Since 1999, he has installed a new public sculpture almost every year, in locations from Michigan to Florida.
Artist website: https://harrymcdaniel.com/