''Inspiration'' is a public artwork by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

artist

Ethan Kerber Ethan may refer to: People * Ethan (given name) Places *Ethan, South Dakota * Fort Ethan Allen (Arlington, Virginia) Fiction *''Ethan of Athos'', 1986 novel by Lois McMaster Bujold *" Ethan Brand", 1850 short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne *''Eth ...

, located at a commercial building at the intersection of 5th St NW & K St NW in the

Mount Vernon Triangle Mount Vernon Triangle is a neighborhood and community improvement district in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Originally a working-class neighborhood established in the 19th century, present-day Mount Vernon Triangle experienced a decl ...

neighborhood of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, United States. ''Inspiration'' was created through DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Description

This metal sculpture is placed on an air intake vent on the facade of the CityVista building just north of Busboys and Poets. At 25 feet by 25 feet; it consists of five panels which are made up of 80 custom CNC plasma cut metal sheets. It weighs about 3,500 pounds. Painted in shades of blue, the design represents exhaled breath on a cold day.

Artist

A Masters student at

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different ...

, Ethan Kerber was raised in New York City. Working primarily with metal his work is inspired by the street art that he saw throughout the city as a youth. Kerber describes his art as "a reflection in metal of the urban environment around us." His work is seen also at the

Oakland Zoo The Oakland Zoo is a zoo located in the Grass Valley neighborhood of Oakland, California, United States. Established on June 6, 1922, it is managed by the Conservation Society of California, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the ...

. He works under the name Midnight Metal Works Inc.

Acquisition

In 2009 the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, DC Office of Planning, CityVista and the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District selected Kerber to create a "dynamic" installation for an exterior wall at CityVista. The sculpture was installed on March 1, 2010.

Information

''Inspiration'' was created using three-dimensional modeling software. Kerber worked closely with architects and engineers to use digital design to create an efficient and creative work. The final image was programmed into a plasma cutter which precisely cut the image. According to Kerber, the title "Inspiration" refers to "the source of creativity as well as the functional role in relation to the building's system of breathing."

External links

The Triangle Blog about ''Inspiration''

VERSE FOR THE DAY

References