Putting Down Roots: Roxy Paine’s Ferment
“Putting Down Roots: Roxy Paine’s Ferment” shows public television viewers the amazing process which brought Kansas City its first dendroid. That’s the term Paine uses to describe his monumental metal tree‐like sculptures, which now populate the grounds of top tier museums and galleries around the world.
“Ferment,” which he’s described as his most challenging piece to date, was installed on the front lawn of the Nelson‐Atkins Museum of Art in April, 2011. The 18,000 pound, 56 foot tall behemoth was chosen to honor Martin Friedman, the Kansas City Sculpture Park’s advisor, upon his retirement after more than twenty years of service. KCPT’s Randy Mason followed Paine’s progress, first at his snowy upstate New York studio, and a few months later, onto the Nelson’s front yard—to witness what Friedman calls an exciting piece of “outdoor theatre.” In just six days, Roxy and his crew rolled in with trucks, cranes, lifts, and torches and left behind “a chunk” of the artist’s soul. “Putting Down Roots” blends art and engineering, as well as the bond that’s developed between Paine and Friedman. In doing so, it also reveals a city whose commitment to great art is visible to all who pass by.
