''Inspiration'' is a public artwork by
American artist Ethan Kerber, located at a commercial building at the intersection of 5th St NW &
K St NW in the
Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood of
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, United States. ''Inspiration'' was created through DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
Description
This metal sculpture is placed on an
air intake vent on the facade of the CityVista building just north of
Busboys and Poets. At 25 feet by 25 feet; it consists of five panels which are made up of 80 custom CNC
plasma cut metal sheets.
It weighs about 3,500 pounds. Painted in shades of blue, the design represents exhaled breath on a cold day.
Artist
A Masters student at
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University (San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It was established in 1899 as the San Francisco State Normal School and is ...
, Ethan Kerber was raised in New York City. Working primarily with metal his work is inspired by the street art that he saw throughout the city as a youth. Kerber describes his art as "a reflection in metal of the urban environment around us." His work is seen also at the
Oakland Zoo
The Oakland Zoo is located in the Grass Valley, Oakland, California, Grass Valley neighborhood of Oakland, California, United States. Established on June 6, 1922, it is managed by the Conservation Society of California, a 501(c)(3) organization ...
. He works under the name Midnight Metal Works Inc.
Acquisition
In 2009 the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, DC Office of Planning, CityVista and the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District selected Kerber to create a "dynamic" installation for an exterior wall at CityVista. The sculpture was installed on March 1, 2010.
Information
''Inspiration'' was created using
three-dimensional modeling software. Kerber worked closely with architects and engineers to use digital design to create an efficient and creative work. The final image was programmed into a plasma cutter which precisely cut the image. According to Kerber, the title "Inspiration" refers to "the source of creativity as well as the functional role in relation to the building's system of breathing."
See also
*
List of public art in Washington, D.C., Ward 2
External links
The Triangle Blog about ''Inspiration''VERSE FOR THE DAY
References
{{Public art in Washington, D.C., state=collapsed
Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C.
Steel sculptures in Washington, D.C.
2010 sculptures
K Street