Gates and Balance

This a development blog documenting the creation of my sculpture "Gates and Balance" (working title) which I am building for Figment's Interactive Sculpture Garden to open on Governor's Island NYC on June 8th, 2013 - Bob Lumsden

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Kids paying Gates And Balance 06/09/2013

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panorama sunday_med (by seejordan)

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Some shots from atop the awesome Treehouse installation overlooking the Interactive Sculpture Garden. (06/09/2013)

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Kids seemed to really be into the sculpture.

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People enjoying Gates And Balance from Sunday (06/09/2013) for Figment NYC 2013.

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Some more photographs from today and some thanks, because I am feeling thankful. Thanks to Amber, a co-coordinator for Figment 2012, for totally jumping in and helping me finish, all the while being calm, competent and pleasant to work with. Thanks to my curators C.J. and Katherine for being patient and supportive throughout this process(and for choosing me . To Rocket, Figment project manager over at the impressive Head in the Clouds Pavilion, thanks for the moral and building support over the last week. Thanks to Kelly, Ashley and Geddes (Team Music Box) for sharing your truck with me and the mutual aid and encouragement. To my amazing boyfriend Daniel, for helping to treat wood until the wee hours of the morning, and for helping me survive the last month and a half. To Jen Overstreet, for driving stuff to the island, for installing the roof and for being a good friend. Thanks to Brandon, Shmuly and company for showing up and hanging out. It was great to have friends around, although we didn't really get to hang out much. Thanks to the members of GSS for being so friendly and open, and for helping me through your advice and guidance. Thanks and love to my parents and bother. Thanks to all who have donated to this project. It will be essential in the coming months. The saga continues. 

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So despite the downpour on Friday, I got Gates And Balance up and operational today and people started playing with it as soon as it was physically possible to do so. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. The kids were the best. A little boy told me how awesome it was, and a little girl actually thanked me for building it. This totally made the weeks of stress worth it. The children are also determined to beat the living daylights out of GAB and the other sculptures and I am sure we the figment artists will have out hands full maintaing the pieces. A true labour of love. I will be out there again tomorrow finishing the screen and making minor adjustments. 

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This is where I got yesterday before the storm blew my tarp down and I had to take the maze out again. Live art ladies and gentlemen, anything can happen.

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Update: So today was supposed to be the final installation, but due to the constant rain today most of us are not finished our sculptures. I will be there all day tomorrow trying to have it up and operational by the afternoon. Come enjoy the island tomorrow. It's supposed to be fair in the afternoon and you can watch me putting Gates And Balance together. With any luck we will be able to play it tomorrow.

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Fabulous Ms. Jen Overstreet installing the roof for Gates And Balance this morning. Thanks for all the help and for driving the project pieces over. It's so wonderful when a day's schedule goes smoothly.

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We finally moved the maze and other components onto the island this morning. Preparing for the last big day of installing on Friday.

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View of Manhattan from the Island.

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View from and of the finished Gates And Balance frame from yesterday morning. You can see the Music Box, the Cloud Pavilion, the Shovel Sculpture and the Treehouse projects coming together.

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Stained and ready, from two nights ago. Thanks again to Daniel.

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The maze design is complete.

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Tilting maze.

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Putting the gates in Gates And Balance.