Funky Acropora/Star Polyp Project - Art Design

[bookofchange]

Before reading further, understand that these are not meant to look like natural reef systems, but use reef organisms to create interesting and ecclectic art.

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Was sitting around with the hubby last night -- talking/brainstorming. I am going to be building a couple of nanotanks (tank and everything)... mostly for the experience. Was admiring some of the new acropora we're collecting and the spreading star polyps. Too many polyps... what to do?

I have also been researching aragocrete and custom cement live rock... while examining a piece of tonga rock that was nearly entirely populated on all sides by star polyps... I had some ideas.

With custom live rock, you are pretty much unteathered by shape and size. You could potentially create any shape.

1) a platform, with a cement ring attatched (view so you are looking through the ring)... populate the ring with coraline algae etc, then seed star polyps onto it. Eventually, and because of the excellent current circulation, the star polps may colonize the entire ring. This would be an excellent center piece for a smallish nano.

2) You could potentially do this with many shapes... for example, a human head, and with proper pruning, you can maintain an chia star polyp head! Again, interesting center piece for a small nano.

3)Take a cast of a human head, only pour cement for the top half of the head... nose half submerged in sand, affix acropora to two sides of the head... weird antler person.

4)Chia mushroom head.

It goes on and on, but the idea is using the cement to make live rock in unique and unsuspected forms... becoming an artistic center piece for small 10-15 gallon nano tanks.

I know some will absolutely HATE this idea... but I am going to go ahead and make some custom cement molds, populate them... and see how that experiment turns out. Figure out where bald spots occur... worst case scenario... scavenge the populated sculpture and give the polyps away! It's growing anyway.

I think the neat thing about making the rocks with platforms. You can put the platform in the middle of a sand bed, and it will keep zoos, and polyps QT'd to one area. Easy to remove and harvest too.

 

[Krish]

Sounds very interesting! Can't wait to see how it all turns out

 

[brettandlyndi]

This sounds really neat! Make sure and take lots of pics, I'd love to see the designs you come up with and how it looks in the tank. Great idea!

 

[bookofchange]

Sounds very interesting! Can't wait to see how it all turns out

Well, I said screw it... and decided to kick it up a notch. If I'm going to invest a year or more on a fully populated sculpture, I'm going to go all the way and add credibility to the design.

I'm currently soliciting in several places for a professional sculptor (already with a name and reputation) for unique art. I want these pieces to be shown (gallery style), and sold. I'm also in the book writing business, and am in a unique position to publish this project.

If it really gets going, I am going to solicit some partners to help me populate and foster some of the sculptures. Probably even from reeffrontiers!

These may become quite valuable.

If anyone is interested, in more depth about the project... it's scope, and fostering contributing to populating a sculpture... feel free to PM. I imagine sculpture will be ready for populating in 3 months time. 1 month to find my artist and make the molds, pour, 2 months to cure... ready to roll.

 

[bookofchange]

Well, word travels fast... It looks like my uncle, who lives in Port Townsend is very interested in this project. He's a noted sculptor, and has done some acrylic marine sculptures in the past. I was also tagged by a friend who likes to make submissions to the Erotic Art Festival here in Seattle... he was talking about full body casts and a butt naked mermaid theme. HAH! I think I'm going to have to sit down and have a little "introduction to coral prop" class, and clue him into our space, monetary, and time constraints.

Full sized human cast mermaid with star polyp covering for the tail and hair?!?! Woah. Now that would be something to see... not something I'd want to do. HAHAHA!!!