Written by: Ali Semeraro
As we begin our journey through the infancy of 2016 we must
not forget the great things that happened in 2015. One of which was our project
with accomplished artist and sculptor Will Salisbury of Upstate NY, completed
in the summer of 2015.
You may be more familiar with his Three Crows sculpture, usually
located about a half-mile south of I-81, but now we would like to introduce you to the Weathervane (See
photos and photo credits below).
Commissioned by a property owner and Fox network employee,
the bear sits atop its perch on a 100-year-old tower located on Comfort Island,
surrounded by the natural beauty of the St. Lawrence River in Alexandria Bay
New York. The tower is approximately 80 feet in height, see the instillation
process here
Bear
Instillation Video.
Bronze is Salisbury’s medium of choice but due to high
demand and the malleability of steel, it has been the ideal material for many
of his recent projects, including the weathervane. He states that working with
steel is almost like working with clay. “It is very easy to work with.”
In order to preserve all his hard work, Salisbury stated
that he chose galvanizing as well as powder coating as the method of corrosion
protection because together the duplex coating system is the “perfect marriage”
to preserve the sculpture in the surrounding environment. He used the word
“permanence” when I asked him about the coating. For some added protection he
also uses clear enamel coatings over the details he paints (using automotive paint)
after the piece has been powder coated.
Salisbury is very happy with his experience working with
Hubbell Galvanizing and Fortress Fusion Coatings. We have been able to help him
meet his needs and the needs of his clients. Galvanizing is ideal for projects
with larger carvings and details.
I went on to ask him what he does differently to a sculpture
knowing it is going to be galvanized after construction. “I have to vent the
sculpture. This has to be a discussion with the client beforehand and becomes
part of the original drafted design.” Said Salisbury.
His next project is to be a set of fish skeletons to be
installed on the side of an architect’s home, which he says will be galvanized
with us as well! We will certainly look forward to this project!
For more information on these and other projects please come
back to the blog and please check out Will’s webpage at
willsalisbury.com
Skimming the ash away from the bear as it comes out of the galvanizing tank
(Photo credit: Hubbell Galvanizing)
The bear coming out of the galvanizing tank
(Photo credit: Hubbell Galvanizing)
The bear after being powder coated with Will Salisbury the artist standing next to his sculpture
(Photo credit: Will Salisbury)
The bear is almost ready to be installed on the tower
(Photo credit: Will Salisbury)
The bear from his perch in the wind where he will stay for many years
(Photo credit: Will Salisbury)
