“Ferment,” the 56-foot tall stainless steel dendroid towering over the lawn at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, evokes many different reactions from those who pass by. Its creator, sculptor Roxy Paine, hopes it might spur us to think about nature, and the ways our culture tames and subverts it. If that happens, he believes he’s done his job.

Watch Monday, May 7 at 9pm and Thursday, May 10 at 8pm.

Putting Down Roots: Roxy Paine’s Ferment
A KCPT Production
Airs on KCPT May 7, 2012 at 9pm and May 10, 2012 at 8pm

“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.