40.
Thomas Peter Smith
Greenhouse Vista
Thomas Peter Smith
Greenhouse Vista
1. SWIRL
- Grapevine rings wrapped in resin-coated cotton twine.
- 24″ round (ea.)
- Four 12-gauge guide wires emerge from portable concrete base to support 11 “Swirl” rings that float in space and terminate at a side mount fastened to the greenhouse structure. Grapevine from my vineyard.
2. CEDAR ROOT COIL
- Resin-coated cedar root with metal support armature.
- 34″ x 26″ x 4″
- Suspended by a block and tackle system. Cedar root from neighbor’s drain pipe.
3. PINE SHAFT
- Debarked pine sticks with wire rope harness.
- 13″ x 13″ x 120″
- Suspended by a block and tackle system. Pine wood from trees knocked down in winter storm.
4. GRAPE CANE DROP CEILING
- Grapevine. Raw cane supported by metal framework.
- 120″ x 42″ x 36″.
- Suspended bya block and tackle system. Grapevine from my vineyard
5. INVASIVE ORNAMENTALS
- Forsythia stems covered with a resin-coated paper skin.
- 24″ x 6″ (ea.)
- Approximately 40 units linked together.Portable, concrete base as a starting point for vine-like strands that climb and intertwine amidst the greenhouse structure. Forsythia stems from my yard.
6. SUSPENSIVE
- Grapevine coated with black polyurethane.
- 84″ x 28″
- Suspended by a block and tackle system. Grapevine from my vineyard
7. VINE BOX
- Grapevine coated with white polyurethane.
- 24″ x 24″ x 24″
- Suspended by wire rope and clamps. Grapevine from my vineyard.
Note: The weight of sculptures proposed for the greenhouse is less than 50 lb. each.
A promenade of suspended sculptures will be installed inside the East wing of the once-verdant Greenhouse. This location hits close to my heart, having grown up on a turn-of-the-century estate with a formal garden and a steam-heated greenhouse. At a glance, the floating, homegrown sculptures will carry the viewer off to another world and a new mindset. The (currently) windowless structure is perfectly suited for this garden-like gallery.
Tom Smith has enjoyed a 30+ year career as an artist. He was formerly an architect, teacher, and freelance illustrator. He attended Virginia Tech School of Architecture, Hampshire College, Pratt Institute, and the Rhode Island School of Design. His studio is in Colchester, Conn.