Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Saw Horse Horses Installed

I just got back from Stowe, VT after installing the saw horse horses that I mentioned in a post a couple of weeks ago. They are part of the Helen Day Art Center's annual Exposed! show which includes 19 sculptures by mostly regional but also a few national and international artists (one from Japan and one from Montreal this year).
Saw Horse Horses
9' x 10' x 5' (each)
19.1 hands (77" to the shoulder)

Though very large, they are significantly smaller than the world's largest horse, Poe, of Tupperville, Ontario, who stands 20.2 hands.

I'm glad I posted the earlier image because I received some good feedback before finishing and installing them. Specifically, someone suggested that I make them "horsier" by adding ears and a tail. The thought had crossed my mind earlier but I hadn't come up with a good way of adding them that would both go with the piece and be repairable -- the suggestion inspired me to give it more thought. I ended up using some scrap red cedar shakes for the ears that slip into a sliding dovetail joint so they can be easily replaced if someone breaks them. For the tail I used a metal chain that is bolted into the back so it is both secure and repairable.
I am surprised how menacing the one on the right became when I added the ears. I had thought it was more passive than the baying horse but now it looks more devilish.
While installing them I got a lot of positive feedback, especially from the 5 to 8 year age cohort (my target audience), so I think they are successful. It will be interesting to see how they change over the summer. The wood should become gray and much of the metal will rust, adding more contrast.

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