Jacob Hameling – Analog Artist Digital World

On November 18th, Mayor Buddy Dyer dedicated Orlando’s permanent contemporary sculpture collection. See Art Orlando was responsibly for bringing eight sculptures to downtown. Most of the sculptures are around lake Eola. See Art Orlando’s mission is to enhance the aesthetic experience and
cultural image of Downtown Orlando through a major Public Sculpture
Community Project. The installation of iconic works of art throughout
the City will bring National and International attention to Orlando and
will add to the economic viability of the community. The operating funds come from partnerships with corporations, family trusts, charitable grants and individual donations.

This sculpture by Wendy Ross is in the Seaside Plaza (201 S. Orange Avenue Orlando FL) just 2 blocks from City Hall. It’s erect similarity to the Asparagus in front of City Hall is astounding. One patron approaching the site said, “It looks like a Sea Urchin.” The mayor and his entourage walked past me just as I was starting this sketch. Rick Singh, the Orange County Property Appraiser stopped to tell me that there was a collection of art work in his offices. Yulissa Arch, his outreach coordinator gave me her card. I had met Rick’s wife at a Mennello Museum event and she impressed me as someone who truly appreciates art. Obviously so does Rick.

I had walked past many of the other sculptures on my way to Seaside Plaza. Each sculpture site had live musicians and libations. It was nice that the city lifted the ordinance that usually shuts down live performances on the streets of downtown for one night. As you approached each sculpture, you would hear musicians at work. Barricades surrounded sculptures where beer was being served. One woman walked away from a sculpture of a woman partially buried in the Lake Eola landscape. A policeman stopped the woman with the beer and told her she had to drink it inside the barricades. She took the order with good humor and returned to chug her drink.

The biggest party seemed to be at the Jacob Harmeling sculpture at Central and Osceola Avenue next to where the Farmers Market sets up and where “Food Not Bombs” used to share food before the police arrests and endless law suits shut this site down. This food sharing program now happens at City Hall. Jacob is the one local artist who is part or the sculpture project. Most of the sculptures light up using color changing diodes like those used in the Asparagus. I have to admit that the polished chrome illuminated sculptures do light up downtown, but I doubt many tourists will leave International Drive or the theme parks.

Mayor Buddy Dyer and former Mayor Bill Frederick hosted the illumination ceremony for the “Tower of Light” on Nov 12. The sculpture by artist Ed Carpenter, was commissioned and
installed in 1992 under the leadership of then Mayor Bill Frederick. The
original halogen lighting failed in 1994. Many attempts at funding a
relighting project were discussed in the interim but the sculpture remained dark and neglected for 20 years. In fact, due to lack of funding, especially during the
economic downturn, there was little to no maintenance at all performed
to the sculpture or base. The light less Tower of Light’s 102 glass panels weathered under the
Florida sun growing dull over time. Its steel framework corroded.

Knowing that the City’s See Art Orlando
project was slated for debut in late 2013, the Orlando chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW)
pledged to raise a minimum of $50,000 to clean and light the sculpture
and rework the basin. Sitting on the Plaza in front of City Hall, the
sculpture celebrates the intersection of private and public interests in
the City of Orlando and is a symbol of the asparagus in our
community. Including donated labor, the renovation cost an estimated $152,000, none of it from taxpayers.

The 63-foot glass-and-steel spire received a makeover including 650 watts of programmable LEDS with full color spectrum, data cabling and a wireless controller. The controller can be programmed with numerous pre-sets (length and color of display) and can be accessed via the Internet on computer, phone or tablet. Sir Terrance Hummel added mosaics to the seating at the base of the sculpture.

As the sky grew dark, a crowd of 50 or so people gathered first on the balcony of City Hall and then in the City Hall square beneath the sculpture. A news helicopter hovered above City Hall for quite some time waiting for the sculpture to light up. Terry came down from her office and went across the street to see what was happening. She came back with a small squeeze bottle of disinfectant which I guess was swag at the event. She asked around to find out if any of the sculptures that are being placed all around town as part of “See Art Orlando” were by local artists and she was told that none of them were. My research showed that one sculptor, Jacob Harmeling, is from Orlando. His sculpture can be found in Lake Eola at Central Boulevard and Osceola Avenue near Publix. I haven’t seen it yet.

Buddy, bathed in bright light gave his speech with the usual decrees. Actually I couldn’t hear anything he said from my perch across the street as I sketched. A passenger in a car parked at the red light next to me asked what was the building with the cylinder shaped tower. I pointed out city Hall and said the other building was just full of lawyers. At the proper moment the crowd grew still and the sculpture was illuminated for the first time in two decades. It glowed green and then the color shifted to blue and purple. Great, I thought, what color should I paint? I went with the first color that blazed bright. There was applause and people slowly dispersed. Josh Garrick approached me wanting to see what color I chose to use when illuminating the sculpture in my sketch. “Ah, you chose green, which makes it look all the more like an asparagus.” said Josh. On Facebook that night everyone seemed to refer to the statue as “The Asparagus”. Now I can’t think of a better name.