Don Rambadt Sculpture

Sculptures Take Flight

SOUTHWEST HARBOR - Works by metal sculptor Don Rambadt are on display a the Wendell Gilley Museum through Sunday, Oct. 10 in a show called "Forged Into Flight."

"I sculpt because I enjoy the challenge of manipulating space. I have chosen birds as my primary subject matter because they fascinate me to no end," Mr. Rambadt says on the website www.natureartists.com.

According to the website: Using birds as a point of departure, Don explores the relationship of positive and negative space and manipulates this interplay in mixed metals to give the impression of life and movement. His work, although somewhat abstract, is based on anatomical accuracy - "I feel you should have an intimate understanding of your subject matter before you attempt to abstract it. This allows you to select which characteristics to emphasize, or de-emphasize, in order to create a certain feeling in the piece," the artist said.

One of his steel sculptures, "Secondary Growth," which features a pair of hairy woodpeckers, has become a feature of the Gilley Museum's gateway, its three tall columns flanking the walkway to the building's entrance.

A donor has pledged half the $18,500 cost to make the sculpture a permanent installation at the museum and additional pledges followed, leaving $4,000 for the museum to raise in order to purchase the piece.

The museum already features one piece by Mr. Rambadt, a kingfisher-adorned fountain. Another piece of his, "Summer," a sculpture depicting barn swallows, is currently on the grounds as part of the "Forged Into Flight" show.

Mr. Rambadt completed a BFA in sculpture in 1995 at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, followed by a summer printmaking workshop in Florence, Italy; then he began sculpting part time while establishing Vanguard Sculpture Services, a full service sculpture foundry in Milwaukee, where he specialized in the casting of monumental bronze sculpture. In 1997, he began to focus on the development of his artwork, and in 2001 left the foundry business to pursue sculpting and exhibitions full-time.

Mr. Rambadt has volunteered with several organizations that have given him hands-on experience with birds, including volunteering with the Wisconsin Peregrine Society from 1992 to 2002, banding young falcons; and with The Milwaukee Public Museum in 1992 as a taxidermist.

Learn more about "Forged Into Flight" at www.wendellgilleymuseum.org or call 207-244-7555. The Wendell Gilley Museum is open every day except Monday, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., with final new entry to the galleries at 3:30 p.m.