A GLIMPSE OF A STUNNING STEAMPUNK SCULPTURE TO SHOWCASE AT BDNY 2017
Big Ass Fans has recently collaborated with ModVic, a steampunk art, and design company, on an art installation to be shown at BDNY 2017. The sculpture, titled Helioman, is based on the man-powered flying machines of Leonardo Da Vinci, fused with the aesthetics and technology of the Victorian era. A mannequin mans the controls of the flying device, which includes a tail rotor, wings, and a landing skid.
At the center of the 500-pound sculpture is a Powerfoil®X3.0 fan. Suspended below the fully-functional, spinning fan, Helioman will appear to have been lifted off the ground by the thrust created by the fans’ massive airfoils. After BDNY 2017 concludes, the installation will be moved to ModVic’s studio in Palmer, MA.
“My wife and I just bought an incredible church, built in 1876, to convert into our gallery and workshop space. We wanted to fuse the function brought by a large fan in the space with our Steampunk art. Big Ass Fans was the perfect match of form and function,” said Bruce Rosenbaum, co-owner of ModVic.
The collaboration began when Rosenbaum reached out to Big Ass Fans’ owner Carey Smith about including a fan in an upcoming sculpture. Working with artists is nothing new for Big Ass Fans; Haiku Home, the company’s residential division, had previously developed the Artisan Collection, a line of bespoke fans that feature the designs of nationally-known artists.
“As a manufacturer that’s known for thinking outside the box, working with artists is a natural step forward for us,”noted Leah Achterberg, creative director for the Artisan Collection. “By manufacturing our own products and selling direct to customers, we get the unique opportunity to engage and work with creative people like Bruce.”