Gibson Sculpture Graces Cheekwood
The Sunday Prevue, June 15, 1975
Jim Gibson has added another of his welded brass sculptures to the Nashville scene, this time to the Botanical Gardens at Cheekwood. In 1973, Gibson had been commissioned to erect a 9' x 15' brass welded fountain sculpture for the plaza area of the First American Banking Center, and earlier this year, he received the sculpture award from Fidelity Federal for their new office building in downtown Nashville.
Approached some time ago by the Swan Ball committee to create a fountain for the 12th annual extravaganza which was held at Cheekwood last night, Gibson set about creating a working model which he could present to them.
Wanting this piece to be more "organic" than oome of his other sculptures, and in keeping with the Brazilian theme of the ball, Gibson kept the plant form and the rain forest motif uppermost in his mind. When he completed his 2' tall working model of steel, it was readily accepted by the committee.
He was then commissioned to complete a 6' tall fountain of sheet brass for the Swan Ball. The local artist was true to his "organic" concept, for he sculpted a stem or shaft of foot-long lengths of equilateral triangles, turned just slightly to resemble the growth lines of a living plant.
His "leaves in the broader sense of the word" were given texture and form so that water from a submersible pump would cascade over the leaves just as the rain does over the lush vegetation in a Brazilian rain forest.
The only change he made in the fountain from his working model was to extend the webbing surrounding the shaft or stem upwards toward the lower portion of the upper leaves.
During the Swan Ball, the water in the pool surrounding the fountain was gently pumped through the shaft, onto the leaves, which in turn flowed trickling and splashing onto the lower forms and intricate webbing network.
Although it was created especially for the Swan Ball, the large sculpture will become a permanent part of the Botanical Gardens. Donated by the Swan Ball committee, Gibson's fountain will be placed in a fitting location at Cheekwood so that visitors to the gardens can enjoy it for years to come.