simply: love
The idea...
I wanted to capture the passion and intimacy of all-consuming love between two people. I chose to represent this with the octopus, considered one of the most intelligent, soulful, graceful and mysterious creatures found in the ocean. As an avid scuba diver, I have spent countless hours interacting with these wonderful creatures and they have a special meaning to me.
This piece is made from steel, brass, and aluminum. It is approximately 60" wide and 6 feet tall. It weighs approximately 60 lbs. This piece is currently for sale - contact me if interested.
embrace
First and foremost, I felt the eight-armed embrace perfectly captures the universal expression of love and tenderness. I especially tried to express the closeness and caress by how the arms wrap around each other.
One, but different
Although to me this piece captures a "oneness", it is affection borne of two souls. I used two elements to provide distinction: first, in the flat vs. gloss black coloring, and second in the use of polished aluminum vs. polished brass for the eyes and gills.
Different, but one
Bringing the elements back together, I chose to combine both the aluminum and brass for the trident heads. Incorporating both metals, I spent a lot of time trying to come up with what I felt was a truly unique design. The brass spikes actually are one piece, and in places are passing through the aluminum.