DOZENS OF SOFTLY BLINKING LIGHTS by Nathan Pratt

PARTNERSHIP WITH OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY BRINGS PUBLIC ART TO DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY

WRITTEN BY Susan Grossman

PHOTOS BY Sean Ball

Softly blinking fireflies will grace the grounds of Myriad Botanical Gardens as part of a metro-wide public art experience celebrating the grand opening of Oklahoma Contemporary.

Pratt has created hundreds of sculptures in numerous mediums during his career. For the Gardens fireflies, he assembled concentric metal tubes that were cut in varying

Taking inspiration from the golden flashing light of fireflies on a warm summer night, Oklahoma artist Nathan Pratt has created more than two dozen mixed media fireflies.

The installation taps into the innocence of childhood where the golden haze of a setting sun plays with the enchanting glow of fireflies. lengths to resemble the gradient shape of the bug. The tail containing a lightbulb is acrylic. There are two sets of wings. One is water jet cut and the other solid metal, hammered into a curve to cover up the inner wing.

A remote control will program the pulsating and intermittent flickers of the tails. Mounts will fit seamlessly into existing foliage in the Gardens and look as natural as their surroundings.

“There is a storybook aesthetic to these fireflies,” Pratt said. “The whimsical rendition communicates the idea of carefree characters that would be just as at home in a Pixar film as they would be in a wooded area.”

The fireflies will be installed in the Meinders Garden and later move to the Oklahoma Prairie Garden where they will be on display through fall.

The Gardens is one of several recipients of a grant from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund to create public art in downtown Oklahoma City.

Born into a family of artists, Nathan Pratt started making and selling small ceramic sculptures at 10. Over the course of 30 years, he has produced hundreds of sculptures in a variety of mediums including acrylic, aluminum, and bronze, ceramic, concrete, fabric, foam, glass, ice, LED lights, paper, and steel, stone and wood. His continual experimentation with new materials led him into the intersecting spheres of art, engineering, invention, prototyping, fabrication and diverse manufacturing processes.

After obtaining a marketing degree from the University of Oklahoma, Pratt briefly spent time as an agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. He is a prolific inventor and for the last two years has been working to commercialize a product line of tape dispensing tools for artists, painters and crafters.

Nathan Pratt

Photo by Sean Ball

For several years he has worked as a teacher, mentor, and administrator in visual arts after-school programs for inner-city youth. Collaborating with his students, Pratt has produced numerous public art exhibits for the Gardens, including the firefly exhibit. As a recent graduate of a city-wide leadership program, he is passionate about public art that strengthens the community and ignites economic development.

Metal wings and telescoping thorax parts of artist Nathan Pratt’s fireflies.

Photo by Sean Ball

Metal wings and telescoping thorax parts of artist Nathan Pratt’s fireflies.

Photo by Sean Ball

ARTIST STATEMENT

Learning about a new medium is one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist. It is a gift to be able to explore new tools, techniques and technologies. The malleable nature of light is something I hope to consider more in the future. I am thankful for each opportunity that I have to participate in the creative process.