Reed Barn
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Art installation design and Install with Executive Press, Dallas, Texas
The client approached Executive Press and they in turn, asked me to work on the design/artwork for a photo art installation using over 3000 of the clients digitized photos that he had taken from 1970s until now. He wanted all the walls wrapped in photos chronologically from left to right. North Wall to East Wall to South Wall.
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Working with the team at Executive Press we came up with a plan to wrap the walls in background imagery and then add the photos on the image to create a photo wave going from left to right.
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The issues we were facing were two-fold. Aligning the images from a roll of print wallpaper at 48" wide to match each image correctly all the way down the wall.
Actual Blueprint of Art Installation
This large area above is entire wall section needed for artwork
Entry into Toy Barn
Side view with garage below
We started with the measurements and that determined our square footages and cut areas around windows. The images on the right represent the actual wall elevation measurements. The initial work area photos below left.
Photo rendering of North Wall
Photo rendering of North Wall
The area of colors in the middle represent all the photos that we would use and some of them overlapping to create a cohesive wave pattern to represent nature in a photographic montage. We added aluminum copy for the beams that would be the names of the immediate family members of the Reeds. The middle copy was wording that we wanted to add using clients recommendations. On the far left in the bar area is a large image that is a mosaic print using all of the photos use in the project.
Photo rendering of East Wall
Photo rendering of South Wall
1st Client Submittal of background imagery and photo
The issue we were confronted with was math. Yes, my favorite subject. With over 3000 photos I had to make sure all the photos were viewable from an average person with viewable area from 27" to 80" in height. Starting with each photo of a max height at 6", I proceeded to do the math and we would not have the room to add all the photos at that size as some were in landscape and some horizontal. The photos had to either be altered or surpass the viewable area. Initially I wanted the photos to breathe with space between so you could see the background image of the aspen trees. I went with a ghost effect to barely show the aspens in a silver/black hue.
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The older photos all had to be color corrected.
When I'm designing a job of this magnitude I'm also thinking about the production aspect on how to make it easy to understand my direction, fit seamlessly all the way down the wall and have my measurements be exact. This below was our PDF copy that went back and forth to Executive Press to get their take on what and where the imagery was being placed.
It was after this point we haven't heard from the client and we were worried about our meeting our install deadline of Labor Day 2023. The client wanted larger pictures but the math wasn't going to allow all the photos to be used. When dealing with personal effects like I was, I needed to regroup and come up with an idea of image placement that would 1) Show all images 2)Fit in the available wave space 3) Highlight the best of the photos.
I worked up the entire North Wall to show the client my new design. I made all the photos to be on a consistent plane based on my original photo wave. This worked out the best as there were a lot of photos that were too low-resolution to be made larger and some of the subject matter was either blurry or not needed. The average image height is anywhere from 4"H to 5.5"H with the larger photos above highlighted in Yellow signify a 3rd level of raised photos to show visual interest and depth. The brilliant idea I had on this was to use those areas to drill the screw through to hold the Dibond panel up and then cover the screw hole with the top layer of large prints. I added between 4-6 large photos per panel.
Designing it this way gave the production team a clear understanding of the large die-cut needed and where the 3rd layer of prints would go per panel. The numbers in red at the top of each represent the panel numbers on the wall. The North and South walls were almost the exact same width and therefore required 9 panels. The panels would be installed based on my original height and width measurements from the beginning and pieces together left to right like a puzzle and seamless.
This is my install instruction for the North Wall. The East and South wall were consistent with what is shown above.
This is the final photo rendering we showed the client. We added brushed aluminum and clear acrylic date ranges on the pillars and a larger brushed aluminum "Word Play" above the photo wave based on what the client gave us. After a few revisions on the background imagery we went from a silver/gray/black background to adding a splash of color but just enough to show what the image was but not enough to be in visual competition for the photo wall. This sold him and we were off to production phase!
Install week
Entry hallway leading to museum. Apartment directly on the left and fitness center on the right.
The bar area prepped and ready for wallpaper
North wall ready!
East wall ready!
North wall with Aspen grove wallpaper
East wall with mustangs starting from mid left to right
Mustang print looks amazing!
This print has mustangs running across bottom as well as a few trailing off to the upper right of the image.
On to the South wall with the mountain photo. From this aspect in the room it nearly meets up with the actual mountain backdrop through the windows. Totally by happenstance.
The South wall panels were installed first after the mountain wallpaper layer. This photo from the install team shows how dead accurate my initial measurements were on the left and the right.
South wall complete except for date plaques and center copy.
South wall almost complete! Just need to add the date plaques and the center copy.
Andy from Executive Press and myself decided to assist in the install and were setting the North wall panels and making sure all was level.
This was the first time Andy and I met face to face beside the multiple zoom calls and phone chats. Together for the final install almost 10 months after we started this project.
North wall panels up! Looking left to right.
North wall panels. Looking right to left.
South wall detail.
South wall detail.
South wall detail.
This is the Reed family and the photo I intended to use for the mosaic print.
This is how the print looks from afar. It finished at about 6'W x 4'H.
A close up of the mosaic print. This was installed next to the bar on the North wall.
I wasn't available for the East wall install of the plaques and brushed aluminum copy.
One of the final install videos.
I'd like to thank the wonderful crew at Executive Press for inviting me to help them make this possible for the Reed family. Special thanks to Randall Reed for challenging us to deliver a truly unique historic photo representation of your life and family. I felt like after this job was finished that I personally know the entire Reed family and friends and was almost sad to the point I was saying goodbye. Shout out to Audrey at Meeting Tomorrow in Chicago for hooking me up with the most bad-ass Power Mac on the planet to make quick work of this. And "That Giant Chef" - Jayson Jones, my friend, who helped me by providing some of the best Texas BBQ for the entire crew of Executive Press. Take care of those who take care of you!
Until the next job, peace out peeps!
"That Giant Chef" Jayson Jones cooked up a few briskets, sausage, smoked turkey, potato salad, watermelon salad and Dr.Pepper BBQ beans for all the crew.
Scott and I have known each other for over 30 years and have kept in touch after all these years. Scott is the co-owner of Executive Press. Thank you Scott and Executive Press for this opportunity!