'IRON BRIDGING ART + TECHNOLOGY: Past, Present + Future'

The Exquisite Cupola : A Collaborative Project in Conjunction with The 5th International Conference of Contemporary Cast Iron Art

The idea behind this collaborative project was to create individual components by any means the artist chose and to keep that design from influencing the design decisions of the others, much like the Surrealist's Exquisite Corpse game. The only design ideas that needed to be common knowledge were the dimensions so that everything fit together properly. The reference point used was a sketch of a 10" diameter cupola as seen below.

Each artist created their component, shipped it to the Scottish Sculpture Workshop to be assembled, and then the SSW transported it down to Ironbridge to melt iron at the International Conference!

Eighteen Artists collaborated in this International Project to create a functional Iron Furnace : 9 from the US, 8 from the UK, and 1 from Argentina, by way of Sweden.
 

Project Coordinator:   Matt Toole
Sketch  Design:        Brad Allen
Legs:                        Wayne Potratz, Tom Gipe, Coral Lambert, and Kyle Dillehay
Tuyeres:                   George Beasley, Marjee Levine, Juan Carlos, and David Lobdell
Tap Spout :               Brad Allen and students from University of Montana
Slag Spout:               Matthew Tomalin
Stack:                      Helen Denerly
Table:                      Eden Jolly
Furnace Tools:         Matt Stevenson, Roddy Mathieson, Ginny Hutchison, and Page Burch
Well, Windbox and Final Assemblage:  Charles Engebretsen, Ginny Hutcheson, Page Burch, Eden Jolly, and Matt Toole at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop

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 The Exquisite Cupola was assembled at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop prior to the conference in Ironbridge. It then travelled to Ironbridge where it  performed a successful test run at the 5th International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art. It is now on exhibition at The Gorge Museums Trust in Coalbrookdale.