Parallel Arc - City Creek Center - Salt Lake City, UT
N 40° 46.062 W 111° 53.549
12T E 424677 N 4513353
This figurative sculpture of a skier is located on the south of the the Richard's Street pedestrian corridor in the new City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
Waymark Code: WME3BW
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 03/29/2012
Views: 5
This bronze sculpture, dedicated to the volunteers of Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games, is clearly not your recreational skier. The pose of the skier depicts the speed of a top notch downhill competitor. He is angled into a turn, leaning in dramatic fashion, holding the curved ski poles that wrap around the body as the downhill skier crouches for speed.
Adding to the feeling of motion is the design of the base that supports the sculpture. It consists of three parts stacked atop each other. The bottom layer is whitish marble; the middle layer is a brushed steel - a little larger than the bottom layer; and the top is a thin sheet of light blue translucent glass-like material. The bottom two layers are ironically not uniformly parallel, but are angled, each in a different direction - adding to the feeling of motion and speed of the downhill skier.
The plaque that accompanies the sculpture reads:
"PARALLEL ARC"
by Mark DeGraffenried
& Dan Cummings
Dedicated to the Volunteers of the XIX Olympic Winter Games
Dedicated February 2012
[Salt Lake Olympic Games Logo]
SALT LAKE 2002
[Olympic Logo]
About the artists:
Mark DeGraffenried
At an early age, Mark DeGraffenried developed a passion for art. While attending high school in Alaska, he won state wide acclaim for his sculpture "Regret". Recognition including numerous "Best of Show" and purchase awards for his sculpture continued into his college career and beyond. His sculpture is noted for its artistic style, grounded with an in-depth knowledge of the human form, and his ability to represent accurate likenesses of those individuals he portrays.
DeGraffenried's knowledge of the sculpting process is extensive, from the creation in clay and wax casting process, to the final bronze and patina work. DeGraffenried strives to create interest and emotion within each sculpture. "My greatest challenge as a sculptor is to capture the integrity of the human spirit, to convey the experiences of life and all aspects of emotion."
DeGraffenried attended Brigham Young University Idaho, Brigham Young University Hawaii, and received a bachelor degree with honors from Utah State University in 1993. Since graduation he has been awarded several large scale bronze commissions. His largest project entailed an edition of four life-size bronzes of an emigrant family, The Crossing, that were placed in prominent locations in England and Salt Lake City. DeGraffenried is a member of the Alliance for the Varied Arts, and the National Sculpture Society. His work includes many limited editions, portrait busts, medallions and other figurative work.
DeGraffenried lives in Clarkston Utah, where he finds inspiration for his current work. He and his wife RaeLynn have five children.
Dan Cummings
Dan is the owner of Spectrum Studios in Salt Lake City and has been a professional artist for over 25 years.
He studied art at the University of Utah and now specializes in etched and carved glass as well as granite. Cummings has several commissioned sculptures on the Utah State University campus. He has completed numerous private and public commissions throughout his career.
Dan is sought out for his unique treatment of glass and interpretation of highly creative challenges in granite. Some of his granite etching work can be seen at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dan was recently selected for the proposed Larry H. Miller Tribute Monument in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Parallel Arc
Figure Type: Human
Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Mark DeGraffenried & Dan Cummings
Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: February 2012
Materials used: Bronze
Location: City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City
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