Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak Spirit of the Cube 2017

Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak

SPIRIT OF THE CUBE

Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak SPIRIT OF THE CUBE

sculpture

“

Aristotle defined art as the realization of a true idea in external form. He traced it back to the natural love of imitation that characterizes humans, and to the pleasure we feel in recognizing likenesses. Art, however, is not mere copying.

Art idealizes nature, expands on it, and even completes it: it seeks to grasp the universal type in the individual phenomenon. The distinction between poetic art and history is not that one uses meter and the other does not.

The distinction is that while history is limited to what has actually happened, poetry depicts things in their universal character. And, therefore, “poetry is more philosophical and more elevated than history.”

” SPIRIT OF THE CUBE

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The idea of attempting to coopt the perfection of nature through an art piece could seem, in some ways, to be an egocentric and fruitless act. How can we improve upon nature? But if nature entices us to look deeply and explore in the way that only the human mind can, perhaps there are artistic discoveries to be made that coexist harmoniously with the elements of nature and the principles of Euclid.

sculpture

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TAMAR AND RICHARD HOWSON — commissioners of SPIRIT OF THE CUBE

The Howsons own a beautiful property in Vermont on the

Richard: I may be florid, but Andrzej’s work inspires me!

shore of Lake Champlain. They had long considered

As a mathematics teacher, I became fascinated with

setting a sculpture among the ancient hardwood trees

the magic and beauty of geometry. I have found that

that line their property and frame their views of the water.

Andrzej’s work lets me experience that feeling amidst the natural beauty of our environment in Vermont.

Tamar: Andrzej was a pleasure to work with. We were impressed with his approach and dedication.

It combines two powerful geometric shapes, the square

The first thing he did was to come and look at the area

and the circle. It begins with a square, but only from

to determine how the sculpture would fit within the

a position directly in front of it. Instead of a square

environment. He wanted to capture the beauty of the

lifting from itself to form a cube, there is the sense

space, the water, the amazing sunsets, the changing

of a cube, and the perfection of that regular shape

light during the day. He made us part of the process.

takes root in our mind. The cube is one of five Platonic

We gave him artistic freedom, but he wanted to

Solids and represents Earth; through this is a circle,

know what we had in mind and what we wanted to

a mere shadow of a sphere, the symbol of oneness

accomplish. It was a successful collaboration. What is

and perfection. How great it is to stand in different

most interesting is that as we walk around the sculpture

spots and enjoy our beautiful place through this portal!

it captures a different part of its surroundings. It makes

If the square is the shape assigned to the Earth, the

a strong statement, but has the lightness of being.

circle is assigned to the Infinite. Andrzej has found

He knew the effect we sought, then set about creating

a way to combine the material and the spiritual.

a brilliant, engaging piece of art that makes us happy

The experience is individual, and always dynamic.

to look at it every time we come home. We love it,

Move a few steps and the shapes will change, as will

our friends love it… everyone is impressed that this

the perception of what you see. Like Nature, the piece

contemporary art piece can fit so harmoniously with

is simplicity but leads to beauty.

the nature surrounding it.

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THE GENESIS OF “SPIRIT OF THE CUBE”

Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak: I was fortunate to be

commissioned by Tamar and Richard Howson at the very time my thoughts had turned to the possibilities of setting a three-dimensional geometric composition in nature. I was drawn to exploring the range of what could be achieved through the interplay of a sculptural object with its “earthy” physical surroundings, with shifting light during the course of day and the changing seasons, with the variability of one’s experience with this object depending on their proximity and perspective.

The Howsons gave me the opportunity to pursue this challenge, and to apply the magic of geometry through this process. For me, geometry is an engine that drives my creativity.

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I am wholly absorbed by the phenomena of space and time — by their interplay and their convergence.

This passion drives many of my creative explorations and the endless quest to define the uncommon form ‌ the form that would encompass both ontological and spiritual aspects of this phenomena.

Spirit of the Cube embodies my search for this perfect structure.

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Howson’s Outdoor Sculpture “Spirit of the Cube” DESIGN CHANGES _03 Presentation 07.05.2016

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___________________________________________ Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak visual artist / designer generative vision

All rights reversed. All images and information in this presentation are copyright to Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak and can not be reproduced in any form without written consent.

MAIL

> 361 Stagg Street Studio 203 Brooklyn, NY 11206

VISIT

> 95 Morgan Avenue 2nd Fl, Studio 203 > 917.664.7004

CALL

E-MAIL > ajolejniczak@me.com ___________________________________________ generativevision.com © 2016, Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak

SPIRIT OF THE CUBE

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The vision for this project evolved through multiple stages of sketching and model making. Along the way, essential technical issues were discovered and resolved, material choices were explored and determined, and structural integrity was holistically addressed to ensure an enduring and impervious object. After final proof of concept and approval by the Howsons, the next challenge was finding a fabrication team and studio with the capability to bring this sculpture to life.

project overview

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Howson’s Outdoor Sculpture “Spirit of the Cube” ill. # 02

sculpture base _ sculpture tripod structure _ fabrication, design intent drawing _ — view: top

65.74"

Recommended Materials:

Presentation 07.05.2016

A — 0.25” Stainless steel, 2B finish B — 1..5” with 0.25” wall, Stainless steel, 2B finish, round tubing

sculpture model view from the top

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___________________________________________ visual artist / designer vision

___________________________________________ vision

All rights reversed. All images and information in this presentation are copyright to Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak and can not be reproduced in any form without written con

65.74"

B

25

66.67"

A

mages and information in this presentation are copyright to Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak and can not be reproduced in any form without written consent.

ALL FINAL DIMENSIO MATERIALS AND FINISH ARE TO BE DETERMIN

Howson’s Outdoor Sculpture “Spirit of the Cube”

sculpture _ sculpture base _ fabrication, design intent drawing _ — view: right

ill. # 03

46.19"

Presentation 07.05.2016

66.06"

sculpture mockup, view from the north side

96.05"

26 90.86"

46.21°

___________________________________________ Ground lewel 0

visual artist / designer vision

32.91"

65.83"

___________________________________________ vision

All rights reversed. All images and information in this presentation are copyright to Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak and can not be reproduced in any form without written con

ication, design intent drawing _

46.19"

66.06"

96.05"

27 90.86"

90.86"

63.14"

46.21°

Ground lewel 0

32.91"

65.83"

Howson’s Outdoor Sculpture “Spirit of the Cube”

sculpture _ sculpture base _ fabrication, design intent drawing _ — view: front

ill. # 04

46.19"

Presentation 07.05.2016

66.06" Ø 42.58"

sculpture mockup view from the front

96.05"

28 90.86"

___________________________________________

45.00°

Ground lewel 0

visual artist / designer vision

32.91"

65.83"

___________________________________________ vision

All rights reversed. All images and information in this presentation are copyright to Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak and can not be reproduced in any form without written con

ication, design intent drawing _

46.19"

66.06" Ø 42.58"

96.05"

29 90.86"

90.86"

63.14"

90.00°

45.00°

Ground lewel 0

32.91"

65.83"

hts reversed. All images and information in this presentation are copyright to Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak and can not be reproduced in any form without written consent.

ALL FINA MATERIALS ARE TO B

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Jason Losko: Metalform Studio was excited to take on SPIRIT OF THE CUBE for a number of reasons. First, we really admired and enjoyed the aesthetic value of the design. After analyzing the form we came up with a fabrication approach that was tailored to our shop practices. We cut the 1/4� thick stainless steel plate material on our waterjet machine. We then made use of our CNC V-Grooving machine to bevel the edges of the parts to create very tight joints with minimal fusion welding. The geometric nature of the sculpture dictated that the welded edges have very tight radii, which resulted in very clean, straight lines.

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SPIRIT OF THE CUBE

Our modular welding table with all of its attachments was a key component in fixturing and aligning all the panels for final assembly. We used CAD software to model the sculpture and we produced mock up components to test the fabrication approach. Another attractive feature of this project was its final destination. We knew it would be installed on the shore of Lake Champlain under a canopy of hardwood trees. This environment was the perfect setting to compliment this very geometric form.

fabrication

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The workshop setup and production was complex and extremely challenging. But the careful planning and collaboration ensured exacting execution.

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Metalform Studio Team:

John Salvato, Principal John brought to the project his extensive experience in CNC machining,

Metalform Studio, LLC is a metal fabrication company specializing in the

CAD drafting, and his custom motorcycle fabrication informs his

custom design, in-house fabrication and installation of architectural ele-

approach. He was involved in V-Groove operation, waterjet cutting and

ments—including staircases, furniture and art installations—for upscale

installation of SPIRIT OF THE CUBE.

commercial and residential buildings. We combine cutting-edge technology with age-old artistry to deliver exceptional craftsmanship to our

Jason Losko, Principal

customers on time and within budget. Metalform Studio has

Jason brought to the project his background in sculpture and construc-

a 13,000-square-foot design and fabrication facility in the Brooklyn Navy

tion. He was involved in the design detailing, fabrication and installation

Yard. Our capabilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

of SPIRIT OF THE CUBE.

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Waterjet Cutting

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CNC Press Brake Bending

Gerardo Gonzalez, Artist

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CNC V-Grooving (aka miter folding)

Gerardo primarily focuses on the design and fabrication of one-of-a-kind

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Magnetic Leaf Brake Bending

miniature wearable sculptures. As Metalform’s operations manager,

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CNC Machining

he helped with the fabrication process, finishing and installation

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CNC Lathe Turning

of SPIRIT OF THE CUBE.

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Surface Finishing and Patina Applications

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MIG and TIG Welding using a Bluco Modular Fixturing Table

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Cold Saw Cutting with Tiger Stop Automatic Stop System for

Accuracy and Repeatability

Darren Lee, 3-D Modeling Darren is studying mechanical engineering with a background in tubular steel fabrication and computer aided drafting. He was responsible for 3-D modeling and structural TIG welding of SPIRIT OF THE CUBE.

Contacts Jason Losko,

Solomon Mollel, Fabrication

Solomon has a background in welding and general metal fabrication.

Principal — jason@metalformstudio.com

724-366-8980

He was involved in various aspects of fabrication. (He also operates

John Salvato,

a safari company in Tanzania.)

Principal — john@metalformstudio.com 646-378-8611

Signature Engraving

by: Evan Eisman Company, Inc. Brooklyn, New York

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Funding for this publication was provided by Envisioning Business, Inc.

Book design by Envisioning Business, Inc.

Editors:

Barbara S. Olejniczak

Steve Rothman

Published by Envisioning Business, New York ISBN 978-1-64007-183-4 First release: May 2017

© 2017 Envisioning Business, Inc. 341 East 18th Street, New York, NY 10003 envisioningbusiness.com 43 Respect copyright, encourage creativity!

For further information, please visit www.generativevision.com

All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, or otherwise beyond that coping permitted by Section 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press without written permission from Envisioning Business, Inc.

© 2017 Generative Vision Gallery, New York

Front cover image: © 2017, Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak

Limited edition

Š 2017

Andrzej Jakub Olejniczak artist / designer generative vision gallery 341 East 18th Street New York, NY 10003 917.664.7004 generativevision.com

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