Installations:
Art “installations” are large sculptures or environments that are designed to be installed in a specific site. Installations are often temporary – some of these pieces were shown to the public for only a single evening.
There is nothing I enjoy more than trying to transform an entire space, but these projects often present me with daunting engineering challenges. The pieces must be portable, quick to hang and take down, and most importantly, lightweight.
These demands have led me to develop some very rare techniques in sculpting with aluminum foil. Many sculptures in this section were made from foil and then detailed and painted – to see in-progress shots of some of these unusual pieces, please see the Foil section below. You'll also see sculptures made from styrofoam, foam rubber, found objects and more.
Art “installations” are large sculptures or environments that are designed to be installed in a specific site. Installations are often temporary – some of these pieces were shown to the public for only a single evening.
There is nothing I enjoy more than trying to transform an entire space, but these projects often present me with daunting engineering challenges. The pieces must be portable, quick to hang and take down, and most importantly, lightweight.
These demands have led me to develop some very rare techniques in sculpting with aluminum foil. Many sculptures in this section were made from foil and then detailed and painted – to see in-progress shots of some of these unusual pieces, please see the Foil section below. You'll also see sculptures made from styrofoam, foam rubber, found objects and more.
Field of Horrors (2015)
The "Field of Horrors" is a haunted attraction in Brunswick, NY that includes a haunted hayride and 3 haunted houses. This year (2015) was it's second year of operation. The hayride takes visitors through multiple scenes such as a graveyard, toxic plant, mannequin factory and more. This year I was hired to create a new "voodoo scene" for the hayride.
The Voodoo Scene shown here is essentially a "found object sculpture" - it was constructed from vines, trees, roots and branches that were found and cut in the surrounding woods. A number of actresses portrayed voodoo priestesses, victims and zombies in a short vignette as the hayride carts drove by. The scene was lit entirely by firelight - while this was not what I originally expected, it did lend a spooky air of authenticity to the scene.
The current plan is that I will be creating more scenes and sculptures for the Field of Horrors in years to come, and I am looking forward to that.
The Voodoo Scene shown here is essentially a "found object sculpture" - it was constructed from vines, trees, roots and branches that were found and cut in the surrounding woods. A number of actresses portrayed voodoo priestesses, victims and zombies in a short vignette as the hayride carts drove by. The scene was lit entirely by firelight - while this was not what I originally expected, it did lend a spooky air of authenticity to the scene.
The current plan is that I will be creating more scenes and sculptures for the Field of Horrors in years to come, and I am looking forward to that.
Festival of the Dead, 2012-2015
The Festival of the Dead is a massive Halloween party held yearly in the Washington Avenue Armory, Albany's very own castle. Run by NoreJay Events, this fundraiser hosts many bands, Djs and other performers.
The main space of the Armory is a sports arena, but the building also houses four ornate Victorian ballrooms, wooden locker rooms and a very spooky basement. For the last three years I've provided installations to help decorate the event, including large centerpieces in the arena entrance, a “Frankenstein's lab”, a “meat locker”, realistic wake scenes and more.
It's been a pleasure to work in such a unique building, which already looks like a haunted house before I even touch it.
Update, 2015: Due to the Armory's legal problems, this year's Festival of the Dead was held at the Albany Elks Club. The party was smaller than previous years, in a less charming modern building, bit still quite elaborate. I contributed two new attractions - "Zoltar the Misfortune Teller" (I portrayed Zoltar) and "Mortimer's Museum of Curiosities". The last 4 pictures in this gallery are from this year's event.
The main space of the Armory is a sports arena, but the building also houses four ornate Victorian ballrooms, wooden locker rooms and a very spooky basement. For the last three years I've provided installations to help decorate the event, including large centerpieces in the arena entrance, a “Frankenstein's lab”, a “meat locker”, realistic wake scenes and more.
It's been a pleasure to work in such a unique building, which already looks like a haunted house before I even touch it.
Update, 2015: Due to the Armory's legal problems, this year's Festival of the Dead was held at the Albany Elks Club. The party was smaller than previous years, in a less charming modern building, bit still quite elaborate. I contributed two new attractions - "Zoltar the Misfortune Teller" (I portrayed Zoltar) and "Mortimer's Museum of Curiosities". The last 4 pictures in this gallery are from this year's event.
Festival of the Dead: The Wakes
Each year I contributed to the Festival at the Armory, I did a realistic wake scene in one of the ballrooms, using real funeral furnishings provided by Magin and Keegan Funeral Home. My major job was providing the corpse – the first year I did my own wake, the second year Bela Lugosi's wake, and last year the “Forgotten Wake”, with a zombie corpse.
I did my own wake for practical reasons - I had two old plaster life casts, one of myself from 25 years ago, and one of a past client – and my face looked more dead. This life cast of me was badly damaged and needed lots of resculpting, plus a body and hands.
The Bela Lugosi head was a resin cast purchased online – I did not sculpt it. The zombie head is a silicone mask I made years ago – his hands are made from foil and wax. All the corpses were painted with an antique mortician's makeup kit.
Special thanks to Karen Campbell of Henry Clas Florist, who did all of the floral arrangements you see in these pictures.
I did my own wake for practical reasons - I had two old plaster life casts, one of myself from 25 years ago, and one of a past client – and my face looked more dead. This life cast of me was badly damaged and needed lots of resculpting, plus a body and hands.
The Bela Lugosi head was a resin cast purchased online – I did not sculpt it. The zombie head is a silicone mask I made years ago – his hands are made from foil and wax. All the corpses were painted with an antique mortician's makeup kit.
Special thanks to Karen Campbell of Henry Clas Florist, who did all of the floral arrangements you see in these pictures.
Washington Park Lakehouse Halloween Parties
This yearly event is a fundraiser for the Lark Street Business Improvement District, and is one of Albany's most popular Halloween parties. I did installations for this event for 3 years. The interior of the Lakehouse was an extreme challenge to work with – 25 foot tall ceilings and bare brick walls that I was not allowed to put fasteners into.
All I had to work with were ancient chandeliers whose weight-bearing capacity was completely unknown – I designed two life-sized winged demons that were virtually weightless to mount on a chandelier, and in later years learned to string wire between the handles on the windows to support trees and sculptures.
My thanks to the teams of volunteers from the Upstate Artist's Guild who helped me install it all.
All I had to work with were ancient chandeliers whose weight-bearing capacity was completely unknown – I designed two life-sized winged demons that were virtually weightless to mount on a chandelier, and in later years learned to string wire between the handles on the windows to support trees and sculptures.
My thanks to the teams of volunteers from the Upstate Artist's Guild who helped me install it all.
Aluminum Foil Sculptures
While I am not the only sculptor who uses aluminum foil, my techniques with foil are quite rare. Through years of practice, I have learned to use foil as a kind of clay, which I use to create large, fast and extremely lightweight sculptures.
Most fine art sculptors who use foil keep its metallic look as part of their aesthetic. To me, foil is a means to an end – I paint the foil to create realistic results. The textures inherent in the crumpled foil give a wonderfully organic, gnarly feel to these pieces. Most people who view them do not dream that they are made of foil.
The durability, weight and cost of my foil sculptures is dependent upon whether they are coated and hardened or not. When left uncoated, the sculptures can be easily damaged, but if hung out of people's reach, they can be displayed for many years. When coated, the pieces become more sturdy. In some cases the foil can be compressed enough that the sculptures are more solid, even when left uncoated.
Some of these sculptures have armatures, some do not. I typically suspend them with light gauge wire.
Most of the sculptures on the Installations page were done with foil - these pictures show a sampling that I photographed before I painted them, plus some shots of the finished versions. The unique techniques shown here allow me to make large custom pieces that you may have never imagined you could get without spending a fortune. Contact me to discuss whether foil sculpture might be the best approach for any dramatic environment you wish to create.
Most fine art sculptors who use foil keep its metallic look as part of their aesthetic. To me, foil is a means to an end – I paint the foil to create realistic results. The textures inherent in the crumpled foil give a wonderfully organic, gnarly feel to these pieces. Most people who view them do not dream that they are made of foil.
The durability, weight and cost of my foil sculptures is dependent upon whether they are coated and hardened or not. When left uncoated, the sculptures can be easily damaged, but if hung out of people's reach, they can be displayed for many years. When coated, the pieces become more sturdy. In some cases the foil can be compressed enough that the sculptures are more solid, even when left uncoated.
Some of these sculptures have armatures, some do not. I typically suspend them with light gauge wire.
Most of the sculptures on the Installations page were done with foil - these pictures show a sampling that I photographed before I painted them, plus some shots of the finished versions. The unique techniques shown here allow me to make large custom pieces that you may have never imagined you could get without spending a fortune. Contact me to discuss whether foil sculpture might be the best approach for any dramatic environment you wish to create.
QE2
For 13 years QE2 was Albany's most extraordinary nightclub. Originally a White Tower restaurant, this small club hosted acts such as Marilyn Manson and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, plus countless other alt-rock bands, poets, theater and more. The club was a haven for every form of counterculture and is still fondly remembered today. To learn more about this amazing place, please see the “Long Live the Queen” article in my Press section.
The décor of QE2 was Goth long before there was such a thing as a “Goth scene”. A year after the club opened I was hired to do sculptures for a one-night “Halloween in July” event – some of these sculptures were still hanging when the club closed 12 years later. I periodically added new installations to the club throughout its existence.
The sculptures shown here were slam-it-out, low budget “labors of love”; some are crude by my present standards. Nevertheless, these pieces are well remembered by the many talented people who frequented QE2, and my work there led me to meet and work with later generations of local artists.
QE2 later became “the Fuze Box”, a more mainstream nightclub. The Fuze Box has hosted several QE2 revivals where my sculptures were displayed again – the mausoleum installation shown here was done for one of those revivals.
I hope the many patrons who still miss “the Q” will enjoy this glimpse into the club's history.
The décor of QE2 was Goth long before there was such a thing as a “Goth scene”. A year after the club opened I was hired to do sculptures for a one-night “Halloween in July” event – some of these sculptures were still hanging when the club closed 12 years later. I periodically added new installations to the club throughout its existence.
The sculptures shown here were slam-it-out, low budget “labors of love”; some are crude by my present standards. Nevertheless, these pieces are well remembered by the many talented people who frequented QE2, and my work there led me to meet and work with later generations of local artists.
QE2 later became “the Fuze Box”, a more mainstream nightclub. The Fuze Box has hosted several QE2 revivals where my sculptures were displayed again – the mausoleum installation shown here was done for one of those revivals.
I hope the many patrons who still miss “the Q” will enjoy this glimpse into the club's history.
Other Installations
Projects shown here include:
- Dragon Sculpture, Imagination Celebration at NY State Museum, 18' wingspan, foam rubber and styrofoam
- Abstract for tradeshow, General Electric Silicones Div., styrofoam coated with silicone caulks
- Two exhibits for “New York In Bloom” at NY State Museum, with floral designer Joan Reilly
- Fairy Centerpiece, “Midsummer Night's Dream” Gala, National Museum of Dance, Saratoga NY, lifesized, thermoplastic
- “Kidzilla”, original design in the style of Gary Larson, for “Far Side of Science” exhibit, NYS Museum, styrofoam
All Images In This Site © 2015 Jeff Brower. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction Without Permission.