Detroit Tube Products serves a variety of industries, but we’ve never talked about the tubes used in art installations. To be sure, art installations are different from art that you find in museums or galleries. These art works are usually large-scale, mixed-media constructions. They usually resides in a room or place for a specified amount of time. Due to the scale of art installations, a variety of materials are used. For our purposes, it means using mandrel and stainless steel tubes.
Mandrel and stainless steel tubing in often used in art installation pieces. This is because with these tubes an artist can show a lot of creativity and expression in a very unique way. In addition, another reason is to provide structure for the art piece. Stainless steel is known for its high tensile strength, making it capable of supporting heavy weight and providing structural integrity. However, as mentioned, tubes are used for more than just structure.
Many contemporary and modern installations like to use stainless steel as a feature in the art. This metal has a polished aesthetic that can is appealing. As such, the appearance gives a sleek modern look for the installation. The artist can also add different finishes to give unique effects. Because Stainless steel is reflective, it allows the artist to play with the light to affect surrounding colors. This can make an engaging visual experience for patrons and observers. In addition, the versatility of using mandrel bending for stainless steel makes it perfect for artistic application.
Tubing has become foundational for many art installations. Just look at these public pieces of art! These installations rely on tubing, especially bend tubing. Sanaz Mazinani’s Rolling Reflection is an installation in San Francisco that features 20 stainless steel sculptures. You also have Olafur Eliasson’s Waterfall which uses scaffolding and other materials to make an artificial waterfall. These are just two artists who take advantage of stainless steel tubing to make art that people can enjoy. Getting the perfect bends is no small task. Our professionals using custom dyes and decades of experience enjoy doing bending, fabrication and assembly for both engineers and artists!