Out of the blue

Out of the Blue is the title of the artwork by Bruna Esposito commissioned by Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu for the 2012 Olnick Spanu Art Program and presented in 2013. The piece consists of a sculpture hanging from an oak tree with a stainless steel cable and a galvanized pulley. Various plastic bird feeders are joined to one another with steel hooks, washers, nuts and bolts while an electric copper wire connects the bottom to a piece of locally sourced granite. Other components of the sculpture include a clay pot, a tennis ball, feathers, brass cymbals, Sardinian brass bells, blue beads, wind chimes, a wind dynamo, and a small meteorite.

Esposito’s sculpture represents the magical feelings of flight and freedom. The power of Out of the Blue derives precisely from the combination of its simple elements and their interaction as symbols, which engender a greater meaning. The bird feeder is a key component because of its simple yet essential purpose: to provide nourishment. It also evokes a utopian or democratic ideal of harmony with nature. Out of the Blue makes manifest the mutual nurturing ties that exist between nature, art and humanity.

We worked with the Artist to produce a full size mockup of the design and introduced a structurally sound system to support the structure. We helped her acquire all materials and to build and install the final Artwork.

Artist: Bruna Esposito Technical Assistance and coordination: Miguel Quismondo Location: Garrison, NY Completion Date: 2013 Client: Olnick Spanu Art Program Collaborator: Haris Papakiriakou Photography: John Lutz, Marco Anelli