Artist: Alan Williams
Year: 2016
Commission / type: Private commission; one-off
Dimensions: H 200 × W 90 × D 90 cm
Display / installation: Mounted to a below-ground structural frame
Current location / status: Sold; privately owned in the UK
Price / value: £16,000
Photography: Alan Williams
Phoenix (Igor) is a large one-off private commission completed in 2016. The work interprets the familiar image of the phoenix rising from the ashes through forged steel, reclaimed mechanical parts, copper and glass.
Designed for outdoor installation, the sculpture is fixed to a structural frame below ground, with three fixing points in the tail feathers connecting the work to the sub-frame.
Forged drill bits and forks form the head; forged forks and motorbike sprockets build the body. The legs use chainsaw chain and forged threaded bar, while the talons combine forged threaded bar with motorbike chain.
Knives, spoons, cutlery handles and forged 3 mm copper sheet form the wings. The tail uses forged 40 mm solid square bar with glass inserts. Riveting the copper sections of the wings to the galvanised steel was the principal construction challenge. The finished work was galvanised for outdoor display.
Chinese Dragon Metal Sculpture
