Hi Jake,
My original model for the horse head stand utilizes the basic curves you show here.I posted a reply and it disappeared into cyber oblivion. However the picture "artmetal works"survived. It shows my model held in front of the PC screen. I made a copper wire ellipse and copper wire circle(of the same width).There's two wires added to show the same basic curves you added. It fascinates me how similar your suggestion is to my original model. I should have stuck with plan a,eh?
Frank

I agree with Jake that there may be some stability issues with the stand as you drew it Frank, but I think I'd live with that since the design is visually so effective.

I would hope that you could make that stand with the round bar under sufficient tension to make it stable, but that may not be possible. I just think that design fits the subject so perfectly that it would be worth putting up with some minor wobble.

Rich

Hey Frank, a little wobble might be interesting, making the piece more kinetic. Lin

I'm like you Frank, I'll have a plan and then start to deviate from it because I think it will look better only to come back full circle 1-4 weeks later to the best plan which was the first, lol.

Although I too really like the unique look of the thin base, my concern with the necking in the first concept is the 3/8" round bar. It will flex way to much if stressed and if a person pulls on the mouth of the horse it will probably bend past the elastic point. I love this material and have tried quite a few projects with it and it is difficult to create the structural strength needed to support something like this using it with out building it up into a thicker profile or wider structure. You may be able to use 3/4" and 1" round bar for a narrow base and get a similar look and a strong base.

The head is so beautiful I'd hate to see the sculpture break at that thin neck because someone pulled on it or climbed on it(and they will pull on it and climb on it), but then again, i'm kind of conservative when it comes to the structural portion of a project.

Jake

Jake Balcom
Mettle Design
Lincoln, NE

Hi Jake,
I over did it with the structural aspect,lost coherence between the sculpture and the stand, and now I'm probably over reacting to the most aesthetic I can conjure.
I can sneak in some rings and triangles on the inside, and get my beloved icosahedron back in. This is where I'll use the lighter 3/8" rebar as tension components. The curvy outside pieces will be 1/2", like the neck of the horse. There will be 20 some pieces doing the big compression.(Went out and counted 35 pieces, not 20ish)

The neck is around twenty inches wide, so I guess the bottom circle of the stand needs to be around 16". Still delicate yet strong, using curved brace components to get rid of the angular visual conflict.Its a reasonable challenge. Another challenge will be how I attach this thing to a foundation.
This is my first try at public art.Its a good thing I have artmetal friends.
Thanks,eh
Frank