HADDAD | DRUGAN

Sun Spot is a tri-piece artwork commissioned by the City and County of Denver, for the Denver Animal Shelter.  The three pieces are linked by the common use of pet tags as a primary material.  The main artwork is a 20’-tall iconic dog sculpture visible from Interstate-25.  The form of the dog is an amalgam of many different dogs, in effect becoming “every dog.”  Its “sitting dog” pose is welcoming and friendly.  The sculpture is made from a steel skeleton covered with 90,000 stainless steel pet tags.  The movement of the tags in the breeze coupled with sunlight and colored LEDs at night make the surface of the sculpture scintillate with constant light and movement.  The dog sits on a raised berm planted with native shrubs.

The second piece is a suspended 6’-diameter “communal collar” located in the lobby of the Shelter.  Sized to fit the giant dog sculpture, it is made from blackened steel and gold aluminum with stainless steel chain, buckle, and stud details. Patterns cut and etched into the collar are derived from the plants around the dog sculpture. Approximately 100 individual strands of chain hang from the collar and will thousands of pet tags.  The public will be invited to customize engraved pet tags to commemorate both old and newly adopted pets.  These will be attached to the chains, slowly accumulating to become a communal gesture of animal stewardship.

The final art element is a set of approximately 50 etched tags marking the botanical and common names of plants along the South Platte Trail west of the Municipal Campus.  Using pet tags to “name” the plants emphasizes their value and stewardship efforts to restore the South Platte River riparian environment.

The dog sculpture was fabricated and installed by Demiurge LLC, and the Collar was fabricated and installed by Silo Workshop. Both shops are located in Denver.