Copper, Bronze and Steel: Corrina Sephora Mensoff builds a gate for a Northside Mansion

I walked all the way to the back, right up to Corrina to ask her, "Where's that new work your were talking about."

She pointed back over my shoulder to this gate, nearly finished, bound for a north Atlanta Mansion. It's a one-of-a-kind organic "phantasmagorie."


Corrina Sephora Mensoff opened her Goat Farm studio yesterday.


Corrina is in red with the Men of Plaid.


Who is Corrina? She's the one-woman proprietor of Phoenix Metal Works. In her words:

"I am a blacksmith, sculptor, metalsmith. I work in metal predominantly, however also mixed media installation and printmaking."

In my words:

"Happy wonder woman of welding with a pickup."

If you've been to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, you've probably seen her elaborate "Sun Moon Nautilus Passage" gate.


This is the new gate. Corrina displayed the work with drawings, renderings, prototypes and patterns. They give a sense of how this work get's done. Some readers will surely recognize these gate posts and dragons.




The studio was clean, quiet, and calm last night.


The delicate full size patterns barely hint at the noise, the heat, the mass, and the precision of Corrina's work.


These sturdy tools can produce delicate work.


If you aren't ready for your gate, you can try a candlestick.


Thanks Corrina.

Michaganer's install "Edge Condition" for Modern Atlanta 11.

The 2011 winners of 10UP: Lisa Sauvé & Adam Smith, Synecdoche

(Si-NEK-duh-kee) “simultaneous understanding”

They won a cash award and a budget for the project.


Edge Condition at Octane Coffee Bar at Dusk on June 9.

"Organized by YAF Atlanta and now in its second successful year, the goal of 10UP is to design a temporary installation and to create a unique spatial experience while also complimenting the MA (Modern Atlanta) MA11 “Design is Human” event with a large scale design element accessible to hundreds of event patrons"

There is catch: Edge Condition is gone! It will reappear in January at Museum of Design Atlanta "MODA" but it probably won't look exactly like this.

"...must be assembled within 24 hrs prior to the MA11 “Design is Human” Kickoff and disassembled within 24 hrs of MA11 “Design is Human” Closing) with simple tools and an assembly crew."

I visited at Dusk on Thursday and walked around. I'm glad I did.


It's a pile of hardwood sticks diverted into a sculpture between the sawmill and the chipper.


Best pile of sticks I've seen for a while.

Lisa & Adam flew from Michigan to tear it down. I went on that warm Sunday morning, June 12, so I could meet them and take their picture. A small crew from the AIA and neighborhood gathered to help.


Left to right: J5, Adrienne Froemelt, Nathan Koskovich, Lisa Sauvé, Adam Smith, J5 the Dog.


Augers, plates and cables held the whole thing together.


Adam and Nathan took to the lifts.


I preferred staying with Adreinne and Lisa on the ground crew.


They used a Hero to capture a time-lapse. Have you seen a Hero before? I like it. I hope we'll see a video soon.

Congratulations to Lisa Sauvé & Adam Smith, Synecdoche. Come back to Atlanta any time. there is a nice article about in Dezeen.

Here are all my pictures from 10Up.

P.S. Remember last year's winner?

PERISCOPE by Matter Design
Brandon Clifford
Wes McGee
Dave Pigram
Matthew H. Johnson

Trompe l'oeil on a rug - Atlanta's biggest urn

The biggest urn in Atlanta is the colossal Helena Hernmarck tapestry "Urn" in the lobby of One Ninety One Peachtree Tower, aka 191 Peachtree.


Attention designers, it's just a block from AmericasMart.

"...interior detailing that adds to its hallmark status, such as the six unique types of marble from around the world adorning the building’s lobby and elevator cabs, and the massive 'Urn' tapestry by Helena Hernmarck that welcomes visitors to the seven-story atrium." (description from here)


I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside.


The urn looks hyper real from a distance, too realistic to be real. It's like a rendering that reveals more than a photograph. As I move closer, my brain still can't grasp it: Is it a painting? Moving closer, my eye picks up the nubby pile carpet effect.


My sidewalk pictures catch reflections of the Davison's /Macy's Building across the street: The arches, scrolls, cornices and brickwork of 180 Peachtree. What do you know, it's by Philip Shutze of Hentz, Adler and Shutze, Architects.


I'm afraid that this block of Peachtree Street isn't a destination for Atlantans any more. This is an example of stunning lobby art that's public but rarely seen.

This is the building, the tall one by Johnson/Burgee Architects.


Make sure you see Ray King's colossal light sculpture "Atlantis." Just ride the escalator down

Find out more about Atlanta's downtown buildings old and new.

Thanks,
Terry
terry @ surf303.com