HSculpture

Mention sculpture to most people and they call to mind works crafted in marble or bronze, envisioning Michelangelo’s David or Rodin's Thinker.

To a Tournament of Roses devotee, sculpture evokes a different image. It’’s gigantic caricature created by welders in pencil steel, intended to be covered with a skin of aluminum wire screening and plastic, then decorated with a myriad of flowers and dry organic materials to become part of an awe-inspiring parade float.

Phoenix Decorating Co. has crews of talented artists which each year work their magic in this unusual art form.

It's amazing the things that the Phoenix craftsmen can sculpt and animate. Some are relatively easy: creating turning wheels, flapping wings, a subtly winking eye. Others take a very special eye –– possibly one with a slightly odd slant.

Consider depicting a 49-foot tall humanoid ASIMO that epitomizes a twist on the parade theme with “Hats Off in Celebration” for American Honda or creating a nearly a dozen da Vinci innovations for Western Asset's "Entertaining Our Imaginations.”

Add to that the challenge of the raging rivers –– the City of Roseville presents “Entertaining Dreams for a Century” featuring sculpted salmon leaping from floral waters – or the pleasures of a lazy stream providing atmosphere for a "Family Outing" on the Farmers Insurance float.

It’s hard to imagine the zoo that could boast a greater collection of animals than have been created by Phoenix Decorating Co. designers, sculptors and decorators for the 2009 Rose Parade.  Starting with  a bear, eagle and deer on the City of Glendale's "Sharing the Great Outdoors" entry, and gigantic wheel barrow pushing rabbit on the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs float, to a ready-to-shear sheep on RFD-TV's initial Rose Parade entry and the fantasy courage-seeking lion on Bayer Advanced's "Garden of Oz" .

How does this all come about? The initial step is a relatively simple two-dimensional schematic drawing, generally no larger than a common newspaper. Then there are some crude chalk lines drawn on a concrete floor, after which the pencil steel is artfully bent to the shapes needed to create a basic outline, which is mounted on a temporary framework allowing the sculptors 360-degree access to their work. Then, thousands of pieces of pencil steel are carefully cut, bent and welded together to form the intricate fabric of each sculptural piece. When the form has been shaped to perfection, it's mounted on a float and covered with screening and a plastic skin. This skin is painted to match the color of the decorations which will be affixed in the days before the parade by thousands of volunteers, providing a beautiful float –– but unfortunately hiding a truly unique sculptural art form.