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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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Scamp artwork helping 'foster curiosity'
Senior Reporter A Backus business icon is an unusual part of creating a shape that wouldn't seem to lend itself to attracting people to a greater appreciation of public art.
But it is.
Public Art Saint Paul, with assistance from the Scamp Co. of Backus, makers of the lightweight travel trailer, worked together to create a shape designed to "foster curiosity," according to Public Art Saint Paul. The PASPider is a mobile art center that literally crawls as it promotes environmentally friendly art - organic or created through recycling. It is as its name suggests - a large moving arachnid.
"The legs are made of salvaged thin-walled aluminum tubing detailed with waste nylon window screening," Public Art Saint Paul reports on its Web site. "The leg joints are from recycled bicycle wheel bearings, the shoulders are adapted pedal crank hubs. Then there's the PASPider's song - a symphony of antique car horns rasping along."
Artist Christopher Lutter-Gardella, a sculptor and theater artist, created mobile art center using a nurse spider as inspiration complete with an egg sac. The Scamp trailer, which has its company headquarters in Backus, was used for the, ahem, egg sac. Yikes.
Kent Eveland, president of the Scamp Co., "had never quite considered this as a use for the popular camper trailer, but was game for the adventure and on a field trip to the Scamp headquarters in Backus ... Lutter-Gardella and PASP worked with the shop to agree upon a design that, among other things, reinforced the roof to carry this extra ... load," PASP reported.
Scamp has been building lightweight travel trailers since 1971. A 13-foot trailer was used for the spider creation.
Eveland said when he first heard about the project, he thought it was a little bizarre. But a representative of Public Art Saint Paul and the artist Lutter-Gardella wanted to come up to the Scamp headquarters. They arrived and provided greater detail on just what they wanted to come up with for the moving appendages. Eveland said Scamp then built them a trailer with the extra support, reinforced roof and body.
"He's a pretty sharp guy and pretty practical guy which impressed me," Eveland said of Lutter-Gardella. "It's kind of interesting. I don't know what to think because I haven't seen it. I hope they have fun with it. I have to go see it."
For the business, there are hopes the project will bring good exposure but perhaps not a lot of special insect orders. Although, Eveland said a "rhino or a centipede would be interesting too."
For more information on the art project, go online to http://publicartstpaul.blogspot.com.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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