Dennis Harper, the museum’s curator of collections and exhibitions, said that the forms in Henderson’s work are constructed of fiberglass and Dacron fabric—the same materials used for ultra-light aircraft and reflects man’s longstanding fascination with flight. “The thing most interesting to me was that the entire piece is lighter than you would think.”
The museum’s Grand Gallery is the sixth venue to host this traveling exhibition; prior to delivering some materials in August, Henderson had only seen floor plans, measurements and photos of Auburn’s museum. Henderson said he used computer aided design programs, or CAD, to render what the sculpture will look like in the Grand Gallery. “In a CAD program, you have much more flexibility,” he said. “You can chop up your model and still keep the original. You can do a video walk through or build an entire space while making changes to your design.”
Henderson added that there are limits to possible configurations without completely redesigning the sculpture because the piece is based on an actual building: a 15th-century cathedral ceiling. This is why, he said, he made the piece modular. “The sculpture can grow in length or in height, but width-wise would be problematic from conceptual and practical viewpoints,” he said. “I have tried to engage the space in different ways.”One of the museum staff members who will assist Henderson next week is Ty Smith, museum preparator and an adjunct instructor in the art department at Auburn. Smith said that the job of a preparator involves working alongside artists, curators, and designers to ready a museum space for exhibition, with duties ranging from the transportation, framing, placement, and lighting of art. “Henderson has delivered 20 total units. He has shipped some connecting units that are specific to the proportions of the Grand Gallery. Those are going to be custom to this particular installation. He plans to fully install it as one unit, and then we’ll assist under his direction in moving the modules to determine placement,” he said. “The piece is supposed to go very high, reaching the point where the curved ceiling of the museum slopes downward.”
Smith said he believes that guest artist lectures are significant because one gets an opportunity to expose another layer than just the work itself. “The work should come first, but the lecture is always so insightful, because in most cases you get a context for that person’s work and the way that it has progressed to that moment and from whence these ideas have evolved.” He said that this particular sculpture might strike a chord with viewers, not only because of the immediate physical connection with a piece that can be walked around and stepped through, but an experiential connection as well. “A lot of artists may struggle to find a way to make a quick connection to a viewer,” he said. “By using the word “aviation”, you have this specific, relatable place to start to interact with the work.”
Advanced registration is encouraged via the Eventbrite application of the museum’s web site. Auditorium seating is limited and ticket holders will be seated first. A reception will follow.
Visitors can see Henderson’s work through Jan. 4, 2014, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended gallery and café hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. On Sundays, the museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum is free courtesy of the JCSM Business Partners.
