Bruce Holmes
Made of Steel Plate
Artist statement: The piece depicts the style of manipulating a two-dimensional form.
“The Run” is an attempt to take a hard material (in this case, ¾” steel) and make it into a smooth, fluid, softer appearing object. Mr. Holmes built a 50-ton hydraulic press to create the smooth curve in this piece. Due to the thickness of the steel, each fish weighs about 150 lbs., leading the artist to refer to it as “Art by the Pound.”
Bruce Holmes was a native Iowan and art graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, although he was a Washington resident for 43 years. Like many of his fellow metal sculptors, he spent some years in the industry, gaining technical skills that he employed in the construction of custom molds and hydraulic presses for forming the metal used in his sculptures. He found great personal satisfaction in seeing each piece of his work come together and ready to be shared.