Untitled No. 8

The concept for this bench design, inspired by a simple cardboard box, comes from a desire to combine technology and art. Plate steel, a durable material, can be laser cut into any shape and inscribed with any pattern or image; in this case, a single piece of steel was laser cut to the desired shape and then bent into a seat with a backrest.

One seat/backrest combination is not big enough for a single person; but when copied several times, the combined pieces become a seating surface for multiple persons. In addition, two sections of the bench have been raised to become an armrest.

The tree image began as a desire to create a logo for the Gene Leahy Mall. The design of the pattern was influenced by the reductive carving techniques used in making wood block prints, an art form that often emphasizes highlights and shadows. Practically, the cut pattern will allow water to drain from the horizontal surface of the seat. Aesthetically, it will allow sunlight to create unique shadows on the ground, evoking the natural foliage patters of trees.

"Untitled No 8" was sponsored by BVH Architects, Paxton & Vierling Steel Company and Boyd Jones Construction. It was one of thirteen sculptural benches installed in 2010 along the paths of the Gene Leahy Mall as part of the "Take a Seat" project. The bench was moved from that location when renovations to the mall began in 2019, and placed in its current location along Flanagan Lake Road at Flanagan Lake.