Reed Fischer
It began unceremoniously enough. Ice Occasions Midwest‘s Chris Swarbrick and his son started unloading boxes and tools from the back of a large white van. But soon, they began piecing together an ice recreation of Salvador Dali’s crustacean-topped rotary phone, “Aphrodisiac Telephone.” The bone-chilling moment at Boom Island Park in northeast Minneapolis turned into one eliciting goosebumps.
Using saws, sanders, a water sprayer, a minature crank elevator, and other equipment to smooth and fuse together about 10 heavy blocks of ice, Swarbrick is leaving his temporary mark. In addition to Boom Island, the four other pieces commissioned for Mia’s Art in Ice include Raffaelo Monti’s “Veiled Lady” at Longfellow Park, Vincent van Gogh’s “Olive Trees” at Washburn-Fair Oaks Park, Yoshitomo Nara’s “Your Dog” at Bde Maka Ska, and the Chinese art piece “Celestial Horse” at North Commons Park. Mia partnered with the Minneapolis Park Board to put on this free pop-up art exhibition, which is Swarbrick’s third collaboration with the museum.
Reed Fischer
In this line of work, Swarbrick is used to his incredible sculptures having a momentary effect. As he put the finishing touches on “Aphrodisiac Telephone,” he remarked that all of these pieces will eventually go back to the earth.
Tips: Get out and see these right away. Although the pieces are set to be up until the end of February, warm days ahead will melt away the details on the sculptures. A clear blue sky makes a stunning backdrop, and the sunlight glinting through reveals Swarbrick’s amazing handiwork.
Find locations and learn more at Mia’s Art in Ice webpage.
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