The work comprises the letters of the alphabet and the “whole” numbers in base ten which, when taken together, form the building blocks for all that is contained within the library shelves.
About the artist:
Sculptor Tony Bloom works primarily in steel, copper, bronze, and aluminum, producing sculpture which ranges from intimate, hand-held objects to outdoor monumental-sized plaza pieces.
Often Tony Bloom’s artwork involves or implies movement, sound, water, or wind, and can have a functional aspect or reference, such as the fountains, maps, gates, or thresholds that he has designed and executed, including WaterWork, a four ton water-driven kinetic fountain for the head offices of the BC Hydro Authority in Vancouver, British Columbia. He collaborates with landscape architects and designers in creating art works and sculpture, sometimes with interpretive, ceremonial, inspirational, or civic components.
His roots in the craft movement inform his sculptural work and extends his reach beyond the purely sculptural to include the strictly functional such as the copper doors, tables, range hoods, fireplace facades, and the large steel and copper bowls and cauldrons for which he is noted.
Tony Bloom’s prime area of exploration is of concepts and forms in various media and thicknesses from 2 microns thin to 2 inches thick –including steel, copper, bronze, aluminum, and nickel — and the processes to form them. His investigation of process has extended to the industrial applications of fabrication, casting, folding, spinning, cutting, rolling and bending, and he carries forward his ongoing interest in surface treatments including surface manipulation, heat application, and chemical transformations including patina and rusting.
For almost four decades Tony Bloom’s work has been exhibited in North America, Europe, and Japan, and he has been the recipient of national, provincial, and civic awards. He is the co-founder of Stonecrop Studios in Canmore, Alberta where he continues to create artwork for municipalities, corporations, and private residences that reflects his engagement with the dynamics of mental and physical play.
