Project Statement/Proposal

 

Site #1, 1489
Don Kennell and Lisa Adler, DKLA Design
Invincible Cat, 2020
steel, recycled car hoods, hardware, glass eyes
8’ x 12’ x 36’
Fabrication specialists: Zach Greer, Caleb Smith, Joel Sisson, York Moon, Zach Nicholas

 

Our project for Camden New View is a monumental panther made from recycled car hoods.  The sculpture is to be 36 feet long, 8 feet tall and 12 feet wide. It has a steel armature that  creates sturdy urban furniture.  

“Invincible Cat” a symbolic protector of space. Panthers are rare creatures and hold a mythic  place in popular imagination. They are strong and agile, revered and respected. These are  qualities embodied in our design. The sculpture engages the imagination of our viewers. The genus Panthera is the only species of cat that roars. How did this creature get here? What  does it want from me?  

“Invincible Cat” is a magical being, made from cast off relics of our carbon addiction. These  materials, once a part of the waste stream of our fast paced global economy take on new life  and urgency, becoming a potent symbol of nature as well as the power of imagination and  transformation. The artwork becomes a mascot, an opportunity for individuals to create  their own narrative about their place and time in the world. We see it as a site for gatherings,  playful encounters, and that Instagrammable moment that lives on in social media, widening  the conversation about site, community and identity.  

Our project addresses illegal dumping by taking materials commonly dumped (car parts) and  transforming these materials into a symbol of community protection. Our sculptures occupy  space in a way that invigorates the site, turning a place into a location that has purpose and  significance for those who come by. It is a way of saying this place is important, this place is  full of joy and imagination, this place is protected. Our sculptures acknowledge the value of  site, materials, narrative, energy and people. We want to create a situation that brings people together, building community around shared values. Artwork embraced by a community invests the site with human experience and awareness. 

As artists, we love the idea of transport. We want to transport the viewer, to spark  imagination. We use scale to transport the viewer outside of their daily lives. The idea also  relates to Material as we transport rigid metals into something dynamic and alive. When we  use recycled materials we further demonstrate the process of transformation by changing  something that has been discarded into something with a new life, something that is  beautiful and unforgettable. The process of salvaging car hoods is very labor intensive.  Visiting junk yards is something that brings us joy because we love history. Stripping the  usable metal from the car hood structure is a process that requires some blood sweat and  tears. Somehow these experiences make the history more real. 

Our artistic practice explores themes of nature and community. We invite the viewer to  connect with nature via art. Our designs invite play and participation providing wayfaring  and photo moments. We make public art to help the world be a better place. We create  sculptures that people fall in love with, that people develop a relationship with. We find that  through a relationship with the art, people also find a relationship with each other. When  people share their own pictures on social media with our artworks the audience become part  of the same story even though they are all experiencing their own story.  

Our company mission is to activate public space. We activate space by presenting the viewer  with narrative possibilities. We invite the viewer to step into a narrative initiated by the  artwork but open to many potential conversations. We use scale, pose and color to make  engagement irresistible: that moment of wonder and awe. These participations increase  opportunities for social engagement. We view each public artwork as a unique opportunity  to link layers of history, ecology and art.

 

Resumé

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