DAVID MIDDLEBROOK ARTWORKS (THE PIECE)

"TIP"

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THE ICEBERG

Two large white carrara marble boulders form the base of this element. A steel skeleton was then welded into place. White carrar slabs were then fabricated and fitted together to form a patchwork that covered the exterior of the steel framework. The entire exterior of the iceberg was then honed to create a uniform, smooth surface. A series of horizontal lines were carved into the sides of the iceberg to complete the exterior texture. This effect reproduces the natural look of an actual iceberg. These lines are formed from the waterline as the iceberg floats in the sea.

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THE ANVIL

The anvil was initially fabricated from styrofoam panels. Once the final shape was formed, it was coated with multiple layers of wax. Acetone is then poured into the interior of the wax shell, dissolving the styrofoam core. The hollow wax form was then cut into sections and each section was cast in bronze. The bronze sections are welded together to create the 1500 lb bronze version. The seems were sanded smooth and the anvil was painted with a white enamel which was then distressed with mechanical force and heat. The final product was then fit into place on top of the iceberg.

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THE COLUMN

The crystaline structure of basalt lends intself to the formation of natural columnar shapes. After sorting through dozens of thes columns in northern Washington, the artist selected one that was appropriately long enough and had an interesting collection of curves and contours. Fingerprint hollows were then carved into the column and polished to a high gloss finish. Figerprints from local members of the Riverside community in Milwaukee were assigned to each hollow. The fingerprints were enlarged, transferred to a neoprene adheshive and overlaid onto the carved out hollow. The negative space in each fingerprint (the white spaces that lacked ink) were painstakingly cut out of the neoprene with razor blades. The hollow was then bombarded with a sand balster, eating away at the polished surface underneath, creating an embossed texture effect and the finished product.

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THE CULTURE KIT

Each element within the kit had to be created in wax prior to being casted in bronze. In some cases this involved hand-sculpting the element out of clay and then taking a mold, which was then used to recreate the element in wax. Once all the elemnts were formed in wax, they were clustered together and joined by a series of channels. The wax bundle is then cast in bronze. Each element is then extracted from the bronze bundle, cleaned up and polished. The collection of images was laid out on the floor, arranged into a finalized composition and marked for placement into the kit. Each element was then welded into place and the kit as a whole was heated and sprayed with a series of chemical compounds to achieve the rich turquoise patina and the finished product. The culture kit as a concept derives from the artists' experience as a child building model cars and airplanes. Much like the parts of an toy car engine, icons representing each culture are bound together to create a singular composition.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE KIT

*MEXICANS- ARCHITECTURE* Much of American architecture and the uses of various building materials trace their roots to classical Mexican architecture as it was brought over by the Spainards.	SCANDANAVIANS- FISHING CULTURE & NAUTICAL LIFE A Collection of Viking ships and the fish they pursued references the Scandanadians, and in particular, Norwegians. Drawn by the great lakes beacuase it reminded them of home, these groups flocked to the Wisconsin region in droves- imparting their love and mastery of the water and associated culinary expertise.
*AFRICANS- MUSIC & ATHLETICS* Jackie Robinson's baseball glove and a microphone worthy of Motown and the Apollo theatre pay homage to the contributions of Americans of African dissent. Their influences in sports and music form the basis of contemporary American pop culture not only in the midwest, but throughout the nation.	*RUSSIANS- BALLET & THE THEATER ARTS* The elegance of a pair of ballet shoes at rest, reminds us of the indelible contributions of Russian culture. The Bolshoi Ballet Company burst onto the American cultural landscape in the 50's and 60's and forever changed the face of American ballet and the theatre art as a whole.
*ENGLSIH- POETRY* A 3-dimensional metaphor of the magic of poetry depicts a bunch of roses as they fall from a tongue to an ear. The work of great English poets such as Wadsworth and Longfellow have influenced the way Americans speak, write and sing the english language.	*FRENCH- CUISINE* A bag of groceries punctuated with the unmistakable shape of a baguette marks this form as classically French. French cuisine is world known and its influence on American culture is no exception.
*JEWISH- FAITH, RELIGION & A MORAL CODE* A chunk of the ten commandment- the foundation of Christianity and human morals pays homage to the Jewish heritage and their fusion of religion and culture. Their influence continues to shape the American religious idealogy and the conceptual basis of faith.	*IRISH- LITERATURE* The work of Irish literary and poetic giants such as Lord Byron and Shelley has had a tremendous impact on American literature and our appreciation of this art form.
*ASIANS- CUISINE AND TECHNOLOGY* A burlap bag associated with rice or spices dumps its content of @ signs- a perfect union of old world Asian influence in the area food and the new world impact of Asian enginuity and manufacturing in the field of electronics and computers.	*GERMANS- PRECISION ENGINUITY* A collection of measuring tools including protractors and compasses takes the shape of a wheel. The precision of German engineering has raised the standards of quality throughout the world. This is especially true of the automotive industry which traces its industrial roots to this part of the country.
*NATIVE AMERICANS - ECOLOGY* As the original inhabitants of this land, the Native Americans imparted a spiritual connection to our natural environment and the wisdom to preserve it.	*SWEDISH- DESIGN AND FABRICATION* Contemporary American design has strong roots in the sleek and simplistic lines that characterize the Swedish aesthetic. These themes were brought to America in the form of furniture and continue to infiltrate our culture with the popularity of Ikea- a company that has become synonymous with sophistication and affordability.
*AFRICANS - ABSTRACT ART* A personal 'tip' of the hat from the artist takes the form of an abstract shape. African tribal art has had a tremendous impact on much of the abstract art produced in America in the 2oth century. A trip to Africa in the early 80's left its imprint on David Middlebrook and the art he has produced.	SOUTH AMERICANS- COFFEE The cliched image of Juan Valdez delivering a fresh cup of coffee is ubiquitious in the minds of most Americans. As the vary basis of productivity in this country, where would this culture be without this South American treat?

ITALIANS- FINE ART
A hand-crafted replica of the bust of Michelangelo's 'David' references the contribution of the Italians in the realm of the fine arts. It also calls to the entire Renaissance period which as a whole influenced everthing from literature to architecture and science as we know it. Of special importance in this piece, the 'David' was carved out of white Carrara marble harvested from the same quarry that produced the stone used for the Iceberg.