The Texas Biennial opened this weekend here in Austin,
to great fanfare and folderol- very exciting indeed,
but most thrilling of all was seeing my sweetheart’s
work literally emerge over the last six months
from raw elements into an intimidatingly beautiful creature.

This is Emergence, Jr. – the maquette Colin created
to model the large sculpture on. This, and the following
photographs (except for the last two, which are my own)
were taken by our friend Chip Warren– a very talented photographer!
You can see his great series of images from the install here:
The Emergence of Emergence

Colin welding among the tentacles..

It is amazing to me how steel can seem so malleable,
so like flesh or frond. Seeing firsthand the process that
it takes to create that effect is incredible. Colin is really
a master at shaping metal into graceful forms that echo
primordial plants or ancient marine creatures.

On the dark and stormy day of the install at Butler Park,
I kept seeing shades of tales from H.P. Lovecraft
as this strange Cthulhu-esque was birthed piece by piece.

Sparks fly; grinding one last bit..

The finishing touches were added as the sun was setting.

Every mark on those tentacles was put there by the man I love
swinging a hammer with great force- I have so much admiration for him,
watching him work so hard night and day to bring this piece to fruition.
Many of his friends and family also devoted much time and sweat
to the endeavor- we are so lucky to have such a kick-ass community!

Emergence – Colin McIntyre, 2009
(Alas, this was the best shot I could get in the gloaming- more to come soon!)
It really is so astounding in person- if you live in or visit Austin, I highly recommend
a picnic at the site, and don’t forget to pack the squid + seaweed salad!
If you happen to be a collector, or know of any with a penchant for large scale
metal sculpture- don’t hesitate to get in touch as this piece is for sale.
More photos from my flickr can be found here:
Emergence!