Daniel Swain

Daniel Swain

Stegosaurus Plates

2021

7ft x 28ft x 5ft

High-density foam board, steel, mortar cement

 

This piece came from a desire to illustrate visually and physically the sale of the dinosaur Stegosaurus.  It is composed of high-density foam insulation board coated with FlexBond tile cement.  The rig was constructed with a variety of 1/4" and 3/8" steel embedded in the ground. 

While I am happy with how the piece turned out as a whole, there were some pitfalls.  Primarily, I overestimated the strength of the steel I was using, which caused the largest plate to bend the steel while remaining secured on the rig.  The cross-bar support was also on the flimsier size, bowing heavily once the plates were attached.  This, however, added some life to the sculpture which I found interesting.

As such, I plan on revisiting this project in order to perfect upon the design that I have, namely in my methods to secure the plates and usage of stronger steel.