SIMON DONOVAN & BEN OLMSTEAD PUBLIC ART
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Run
Lubbock, Texas
2017
Stainless-steel, LEDs, concrete
11’ x 21’ x 5.5’ on 6’ pedestal

For the entry of Texas Tech University’s New Sports Performance Center. Hundreds of
laser-cut slices of stainless steel are welded together with each layer held an inch
apart by pegs. The effect is that of an ever-shifting nature as you move around the
piece. Looking topographical to almost disappearing straight-on. With added “motion
lines” give the illusion of an African-American woman athlete running - as you pass by
and each figure sequentially disappears.


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We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us
New Orleans, Louisiana
2018
Stainless-steel, LEDs, concrete
30’ x 13’ x 13’

At the University Medical Center. It is comprised of tens of thousands stainless steel
washers each individually welded to the next, over a stainless steel tube structure, it is a
symbol of diversity, cooperation and trust and building on a community's history.



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Unity
Tucson, Arizona
2017
Stainless-steel, LEDs, concrete
10’ x 17” x 17” on a 10’ plinth

Five figures leaning outward as far as possible without falling, only through the
cooperation of holding hands. Dozens of laser-cut slices of stainless steel are welded
together with each layer held an inch apart by pegs. The sculpture sits on a five-sided,
fluted concrete pedestal. The effect is that of an ever-shifting nature as you move
around the piece. Looking topographical to almost disappearing straight-on.

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​Tribute
Charlotte, North Carolina
2021
Powder-coated steel
10’ x 52’ x 16”

An interactive, double-sided relief / transparent wall. Utilizing a technique of undulating
laser-cut vertical slices that are held apart to create an interactive perception of forms. It
reads from fully realized representations to near invisibility. On one side depictions of
five branches of the military, on the other - a close-up of a waving American flag. The
intent is to have the shadow of each side’s fully realized forms bleed through, while also
maintaining a transparent fence quality. It's a sculptural magic trick.



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Flying Dreams
Dallas, Texas
2018
Mixed media
Varied dimensions

Dallas Love Field Airport. Three sculptures of life-size figures are flying with turning
propellers held between their teeth, as they are suspended in front of a photo mural of
similar figures flying in a Texas sunsetting sky. The work reinforces the modernization
project’s distinctive, contemporary identity for the airport both during the day and at
night with a touch of whimsy.

Wall Mural
21’H x 28’10” W x .125” D

Medium: digital print on aluminum composite panels

Suspended Figures
Each 36”H x 6’W x 6’6”D

Medium: 3D printed ASA plastic, acrylic paint and coating.
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  • DonovanOlmstead
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