Here are some photos of the Work-in-Process for the commissioned monumental sculpture, Celebration, that Gardner designed and created for a private day school in Palo Alto. Although the piece was designed by Gardner, it was fabricated at a foundry, because Gardner selected to use highly durable stainless steel for the piece, which is notoriously strong and difficult to work with. These photos depict much of the physical process under which the sculpture was designed and manufactured at the foundry.
Concept Development
Gardner created a cardboard mock-up of the initial concept for the piece. This model (first image) was sized at 1/3 scale of the full-size final piece. Once the 1/3 scale model was approved, Gardner produced a 1/3 scale model in aluminum, showing the look of the piece in something similar to the final finish. With that experience, modifications were made to Gardner’s hand-made but full-scale model of Celebration in cardboard. This enabled him to begin to hone the full-sized balance and fabrication issues. The following images shows the full-scale model in the artist’s dining room. The last image shows the artist (at a earlier age) working to construct a prototype model in cardboard.
Fabrication of Parts
After the school approved the full-scale model, fabrication of the pieces in stainless steel was commenced. Gardner uses a foundry located near him because stainless steel is extremely hard material to shape. Gardner oversaw the fabrication of the individual pieces and the polishing process, which requires special tools and incredible skills and craftsmanship. All of the separately constructed pieces are then joined with a soldering process and polished.
Shipping and Installation
The sculpture was set on a base and shipped to its destination in Palo Alto, California. Here Norman Gardner oversaw the construction of a cement pedestal and the installation of the finished sculpture at the school. It was quite difficult, as the completing the installation required that the holes intended to receive the bolts be widened. Gardner had to source diamond tipped drill bits from all around Palo Alto, and went through quite few, before being able to get the installation done.
Unveiling and Celebration
The Gardner family arranged for there to be an unveiling of the sculpture on Grandparents’ Day in May, 2006. A ceremony was held at which the school presented the sculptor, who was a grandparent of two students at the school, with a certificate of appreciation. Afterwards, there was a brunch reception for Gardner and other grandparents and school families hosted by the Gardner family.
Although the school commissioned the sculpture, the artist’s daughter, Valerie Gardner and her husband, funded the costs necessary to complete the project. As a result, the sculpture remains in the Gardner Family collection and is now on conditional loan to the school for use so long as it remains on public view at the front entrance to the school.
Celebration is now viewable for all outside the entrance of the school at 450 San Antonio Road, in Palo Alto, California, southwest of Middlefield Road.