site specific installations

The Einstein Cafe, a site specific public installation at Miami Dade College- Hialeah

Posted by Tom Virgin

The Einstein Cafe         watercut aluminum, powdercoat, automotive paint              16 ft x 9 ft x 6 in                     2010

This project created an outdoor classroom/ study area for the Math Department at Miami Dade College’s Hialeah Campus. This small campus offers an almost family style administration and faculty as mentors to an urban immigrant and first generation American population of young Hispanic students. Many of their students come from local high schools, including the one I work at. I was one of several artists asked to create a proposal for an underused picnic area that used Albert Einstein as a jumping off point.

The result was this collage of images that came from the life of Einstein, from his youth to his enduring legacy of words and ideas. The work is created from water cut 1/4 inch plate aluminum, powdercoated or painted with automotive paint. The work was installed by TM Development, a general contracting firm with a Cornell trained engineer at its helm. The images were drawn, or cut  as relief prints, by the artist and then fabricated from the original images. Each of the images was chosen to create a conversation about Einstein that could be engaged through interdisciplinary study, utilizing both Math and other knowledge about this remarkable man.

“Duty and Remembrance,” North Key Largo Fire Station, Key Largo, Florida

Posted by Tom Virgin

Duty and Remembrance, ID Wall                                         16 ft x 12 ft x 6 in          watercut aluminum with powdercoat                  2006

Duty and Remembrance, Towers with Fire Fighter           8 ft x 3 ft x 4 ft             watercut aluminum with powdercoat                  2006

This two part work was completed for the Florida Keys Council of the Arts and Monroe County Art in Public Places. This piece was awarded in 2006 and completed in 2007. After a site visit, conversations with the Chief, and talks with fire fighters in the Grove, I began my proposal.  I combined images of places that the fire fighters frequented while they were off duty with a tribute to fire fighters who lost their lives while they were on duty. The wave elements on the ID wall came from Japanese iconography. The fire fighter with the axe was a portrait that I did of a retiring veteran fire fighter in the Grove. The same fire fighter was my model for the fire fighter at rest, leaning on the tower elements.