The “FeNyX” collaborative fire sculpture represents the Phoenix area artists maintaining their work through recent global issues, rebuilding, reinventing and making local improvements to turn the phoenix region into a new center for the arts. 

The FeNyx is in a series of collaborative pieces: creature design, metal forming & casting, high pressure fire system & mechanized movement Sean T French,  Mike Butzine (glass blowing), Lance Greathouse parts donation, fire system & articulation consulting, Michelle Meyer (structural design & fabrication), Cody Hunt(programmed LED lighting & movement), Nick Rice, low pressure fire system & transport system.

20 ft tall and approx 20ft wides with a weighted base.  The wings and head/neck articulate with electric actuators and the mouth fires off a 30 ft propane plume from a 1 inch solenoid also situated in the base .  The neck is fixed with a mercury switch to ensure the firing mechanism can only fire when pointed up as a safety feature.  This piece also has internal LED programmable lighting.    During public viewing this piece will move its head and neck as well as wings and then point to the sky and emit a 30 ft fire plum while lights circulate through the glass pieces in the body of the phoenix.  The flames emit from the mouth which is 20 off the ground so the flames go up from there far from people below. 

Artists note:

Art on a scale like this is not a solo effort.  This takes teamwork and the sweat , blood, tears, pain of many.  I want to deeply thank the team that made this happen at what seemed like “against all odds” moments only for the love of the art with only a small budget for materials.  We now have a few accomplishments together and on to more.  The core large piece team is Mike Butane, Michelle Meyer, Cody Hunt and I. We have been creating a series of creatures that explore how far we can take commonly seen creatures into a new level.  At the “New Things” show we premiered a piece called “PsyRyn” (a mermaid, see at  the Walter Where?House) and as we were close to completion we asked ourselves “what next”?  Michelle almost immediately said…”a phoenix” .  I responded with a big…”YES!”  I had the design drawing done the next day, (see in post ) we stayed on that design to the end.  The team and myself took on many different skills to get this to phase 1 (opening) all jumping around different skills and techniques sometimes outside of their core skill sets.  I did all the metal work you see on the sculpture but had my hands on every part and system of the piece except glass blowing and programming.  All well rounded artists, Mike is an amazing glass blower, Michelle is a high level designer & fabricator, expert engineering art for public display, Cody is exploring new technology for controlling actuators and lighting….however the FeNyx needed more collaborators. We added as high pressure fire system consultant Lance Greenhouse who’s contributions were invaluable to this pieces’ competition .  Lance also worked with me on the actuating or moving parts guiding me the whole way.  Nick Rice who in addition to designing and building the elegant FeNyn transport system, (gotta get her there), and designing and created the low pressure fire system mounted at the base of the sculpture landed his skills to many parts of her construction. We all did what it took to make this happen. many of the tasks being completed at odd hours in my back yard, lots of driving, material gathering hard unpaid work.