Tempe Art Installation

Create the forms for a large concrete art installation.

While working at Urban Plough, we were used to working alongside a legendary artist Matthew Moore. He was asked to create an art installation which showcased some of the native cultures present before Tempe was established.

His idea was to take a native song and visualize it through software allowing the form to shape out with the waveform of the music. A tactile visualization of a Native American song embedded in the ground.

Materials

The forms were going to be very heavy once the concrete was poured and so we needed a material that would flex, but not lose its shape when pushed to the limit. We chose insulation foam due to its strength, availability, and toolability.

Since the forms would be eventually milled on our CNC, the foam was a perfect choice as it was easily tooled and was still somewhat flexible.

So much foam, so much milling!

Transportation

Once each box was built and labeled, each was taken by truck down to the installation site.

The forms were then placed upright and filled in space, allowing the concrete footings to be created while the overall form took shape.

This required an incredible amount of teamwork by the concrete crew and the landscape crew.

Finally poured

Once the concrete was set, the forms could finally be removed. Thanks to some forward thinking, each form was given a quick spray with mold release so the “unboxing” was made easier.

While it may seem like a simple curved design, there was an enormous amount of planning and effort put into making this amazing art work.