COMMISSIONED PROJECT

Carved By Martin Cooney

Partners in Time / Winterset Limestone Fountain and Kansas Creme Base

Private Commission / Brush Creek, Aspen, Colorado

The concept behind Partners in Time fountain was to create a sculpture that would set the tone for a secluded courtyard by not only developing a strong and original focal point, but to also lend a quiet and subtle soundtrack in the form of a tinkling stream.

A favorite technique of mine when it comes to fountains is to run the water with just enough volume and pressure that it clings in a film as it runs down the whole surface of the sculpture. In much smaller versions than this private commission I utilized this method with great effect on Pagoda Bowl Fountain, Bird Mountain Fountain and Elefountain, pictured below, and is now if anything my preferred method of utilizing running water as it flashes across the stone, making both water and stone come to life in the process.

Given the size, scale and scope of this challenging commission I suppose that in hindsight much could have gone wrong between my conceiving, carving, transporting and installing Partners in Time Fountain.

Happily, I am here to report that all went remarkably according to plan, and for a project this size, and with so much weighing upon getting everything right, everything went and worked like a charm from the moment it was switched on, to the actual nuts and bolts of getting everything to fall into place right when I needed it.

Right on queue I came across the perfect stone sitting in Pine’s Stone yard, promptly slit it and voila – the stars were born. Next, the carving stage went swimmingly even as I say it myself, as did carving out the large oval base, with its raised platforms with which to seat the massive stones; proving a relatively simple task to sculpt given the quality and consistency of the lovely piece of Kansas Creme limestone that I had selected for the base.

And in actual fact, the toughest and most challenging aspect of this whole project was in moving such huge and heavy stones – not to mention the large oval base – over a courtyard of virtual eggshell thin sandstone slabs.

This really did take some thinking through. But with Kris by my side we can and do achieve precisely what we set out to do, or we simply don’t do it. And so nothing so trivial as moving stone is going to flummox us. Quietly and steadily we simply built a little rail bed of 4 by 4s, took our time and gently ushered the pair into place – no fuss, no muss.

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But what I was particularly pleased about is the way that the water for both halves of the fountain – the two partners – is introduced largely through holes that were already in place within the stones, making the appearance sort of miraculous in a way, and lends a certain mystique charm to the carving. Nothing seems forced or unnatural.

And so, with the whole carving to installation process going so well, and the fountain working like a charm from the off, I really can see this tough old fountain, if it is taken care of and maintained, splashing on into it’s custom bowl for years, decades and even centuries to come.

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COMMISSIONED PROJECT

Carved By Martin Cooney

Partners in Time / Winterset Limestone Fountain and Kansas Creme Base

Private Commission / Brush Creek, Aspen, Colorado

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thanks for visiting martincooney.com

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