Second Spring - Leaf Sculptures

Second Spring - Leaf Sculptures

Completion Date: 2022

Location: IRA Civic Center, Grand Rapids, MN.

Materials: Wood, Acrylic Paint

Dimensions: 5’6” H x 3’8” W x 1” D

Wood sculptures were designed in collaboration with Itasca Life Options and David Browne. Wooden leaf outlines were cut on a cnc router by Iron Range Makerspace. Leaf cut-outs were painted and assembled with ILO and David Browne.

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus.

The artworks are a collaboration between Itasca Life Options artists, Aaron Squadroni and David Browne. After completing a series of projects related to nature we chose to focus on leaves as a thematic element for our final artworks. The leaf theme grew out of the larger historical and cultural roots of the Rapids area – the abundant forests and growth fueled by the logging and paper industries. The diversity, beauty, and abundance of leaves in Itasca County inspired us to use the leaves of local trees to create public art.

In the fall, we collected leaves that had various color patterns and used these as examples from which ILO artists created paintings. Then the artists’ paintings were translated into computer files. We used those files in a CNC router provided by the Iron Range Makerspace to cut the outline of each leaf from wood. As a group, we then painted the cut-out pieces of each leaf and assembled them to create the final artwork. The leaf paintings and the final wooden sculptures were temporarily exhibited together at the Reif Performing Arts Center and the wooden sculptures will be displayed long term in the remodeled IRA Civic Center lobby in Grand Rapids, MN.