CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION
It took several months to build the "No Place Like NOLA" series, and was a very intensive endeavor. I experimented with several weatherization treatments and electrical systems before I finally got things working properly. For the final few weeks of the construction I was working around the clock welding, soldering electronics, and applying chemical treatments to the birdhouses.
Here are the original concept boards for the project created in collaboration with architect Lorba Drewry:
Concept Board Page 1.
Concept Board Page 2.
Artist Neil Fenton created 16 wax Flor-di-Lis that I had cast in bronze and then transformed into locking mechanisms for the hanging arms.
The timeframe between comission and deadline on this project was extremely short. I worked like a madman. Here is a picture of me taken the exact instant that I finished the series.
Ryan with a Bad Case of Birdhouse Madness.
Watch an Interview with Ryan at the beginning stages of the Construction Process filmed on the 3rd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Watch the Construction Slide Show.
The "No Place Like NOLA" series was installed in the Botanical Gardens in City Park, New Orleans during the week of October 27th - November 1st, 2008. I drove down from Denver in a Budget Rent-A-Truck with the steel hanging systems, lots of tools, and all the birdhouses packaged in bubble wrap. I spent the week digging holes, pouring concrete, and fine-tuning the installation with the help of several friends.
Watch the Installation Video featuring music by Michael Hornsby.
Watch the Installation Slide Show.