Sculpture Professor Coral Lambert's exhibition ‘Ferrum Lux’ sparkles at Festival of Combustion in Pittsburgh
Alfred University Professor of Sculpture Coral Lambert collaborated recently with digital sculpture pioneer Paul Higham for the exhibition Ferrum Lux, a 45-minute choreographed performance at the post-industrial site of the historic Carrie Blast Furnaces in Pittsburgh, PA, during the recent Festival of Combustion.
The festival is a celebration of the industrial arts and American crafts at the Carrie Blast Furnaces, located along the Monongahela River Valley, just east of downtown Pittsburgh. The area was a center for steel production when Pittsburgh was known around the world as the Steel City.
Lambert used her mobile iron furnace ‘MothRa’ to melt iron and pour it at 2,650 F into open face sand molds alongside neon sculptures. The spectacle was accompanied by Higham’s live electronic sound in conversation with the actions of the iron pour.
Students from Alfred University School of Art and Design participated in the performance and made up the team that melted and cast the iron. Current Sculpture Dimensional Studies students included Joseph Langford, Ally Nicholson, Ben Buess, Shane Campbell, Felix Gelvin, Kayle Hatfield, Rhiannon Scheidt, Jesse Hawley (neon) and AU Engineering Students Grace Dunham and Saqlain Zaheer.
SOAD alumni at the festival included, Kay Dartt, Leana Quade (glass), Pat Gelen, Arielle Atmosfera and Paige Henry (Rivers of Steel Foundry Artist).
The festival attracted more than 3,500 spectators to the event. Participation by Alfred University students was supported by the Emerson Foundation in support of the future National Casting Center at Alfred University.