MACROMERGENCE
Now complete and installed is this incredible project for the new demonstration gardens at the CONARD-PYLE company. See Photos and video from the September 10 dedication below.The sculpture titled Macromergence is 15 feet high, weighing 6,000 lbs created by Greg Leavitt and designed by Tiana Leavitt for Conard -Pyle Star /Roses and Plants had some prime directives for the artists from Steve Hutton. These were that it should be, energetic, dynamic exuberant, have a sense of whimsy, be interesting from all angles and provide a sense of discovery through repeated viewings. The site itself enjoys a prodigious breeze and the ability to have some movement was requested
Our initial footprint was a 38 foot 5 point star positioned in a key sight point in the newly emerging demonstration garden. In consideration of the work in genetic engineering that is at the core or CPs worldwide success with the Knock Out (tm) rose and others in development, combined with the directives; Tiana went to the core of the flower and to the seed for inspiration. The goal, to represent the magical processes at the heart of germination, the sexuality of flowers and their beautiful reproductive structures. Stamen, ovules, mitosis, the DNA, the energy of a seed sprouting. And of course the incredible myriad of seed form designs, many only seen in their glorious detail in electron micrographs. Amalgamating these things, making the invisible wonder of the micro world macro became the basis of the sculpture. With a huge footage area to occupy the sculpture needed to have enough weight to hold up to the big sky space of the garden , yet have a spacious complexity and lightness of spirit. The studio where Greg would create this sculpture has equipment capable of utilizing several different processes, including hot forging , cold bending , plasma cutting and of course, welding. The design needed to take these capacities into consideration as well as those of weight and transport. To that end it needed a design engineered such that would allow the sculpture to be fully constructed in the studio and disassembled for transport to be permanently welded at the site.
The completed sculpture took 12 months to engineer, create and install. It is 38’ wide by 15’ tall and weighs approximately 3 tons. It is constructed of mild steel, copper and bronze. The patina is a controlled rusting process which has been sealed with a clear finish.