The constant creativity of the built world
Fabrication and design studio Carvel Creative turns artistic ideas into physical reality
What do Star Trek transporter hubs, a boulder suspended in glass and a sculpture of a giant dodo have in common?
Someone had to engineer and build them.
In these cases, it was Calgary-based design and fabrication studio Carvel Creative.
“Pretty much any solid surface material that you would see in the built world, we work in,” says Adam Weir, who co-owns Carvel Creative with Suzanne Doherty and Shane Hurl. “We bridge the gap from artists coming up with this really whimsical idea to having it be executed.”
Founded in 2015, Carvel Creative’s 10-person crew is typically working on about 30 projects at any given time. Their work for film includes sets and prop elements for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Gen V and plenty of Star Trek (Discovery, Strange New Worlds and Section 31). Carvel Creative also builds public art that appears across Canada, including Calgary-based pieces Bok Choy Boy by Rawry & Pohly in the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre, and Balancing Act by Robin Arseneault, a series of three unicycle-inspired sculptures located near the front entrance of BLVD Beltline at 1229 Macleod Trail SE.
Completing those projects — within budget, on time and honouring the artist’s intent — is an in-depth process. “When an artist, even a seasoned artist, is coming into the world of public art, it can be overwhelming,” says Weir. “A lot of artists don’t have big studios where they have large fabrication shops, or access to engineers or the know-how to build something to the scale and out of the materials they’re thinking of working in.”
Budget is an important piece of consultations with clients, as public art projects can include major costs the artist may not have considered, such as lighting requirements or the piece’s foundation. Timelines are also crucial, especially for film projects with strict shooting schedules. “Speed, quality and budget — that’s the triangle that you’re always dealing with,” says Weir. The studio’s commitment is to keep to the original artistic intention while providing as much impact as possible for the project’s scope. Besides budget and timeline, production details include the site requirements, safety, longevity and the steps needed to build, coat and install the piece. Film projects also consider how a piece is being handled and how close to the camera.
“Every step along the way, we are using creativity,” says Weir. “We’re constantly problem solving.” For example, the sculpture coatings are much more complex than they seem at first glance. Take the colour-shifting, metallic finish of The Song of the Dodo by Myfanwy MacLeod, which took many layers to achieve, or a 40-foot piece the team recently coated.
The Song of the Dodo by Myfanwy MacLeod
Courtesy of Carvel Creative
“If it’s a solid colour and it’s on a large piece — people don’t understand how difficult it is to do a piece like that,” owner and coating director Suzanne Doherty says. “The first time that you spray it, sometimes it doesn’t work out, so you have to do it multiple times to figure out exactly how to get it to go right.” And creative problem-solving can extend beyond the artwork itself — Weir and Doherty recount a custom-built rotisserie-style mount they made to be able to rotate and work on a 7,000-pound artwork.
If you want to see the studio, Carvel Creative is happy to provide guided tours of their space. Weir shares that even family members who know what he does for a living are blown away by the shop. Even more inspiring? “I’ve had girlfriends bring their daughters in, and two of them said, ‘I want to do that when I grow up,’” says Doherty. Email info@carvelcreative.com to schedule a tour.
About the Storytelling Project
The Storytelling Project raises awareness about Calgarians who, by living creative lives, are making Calgary a better city, effecting positive change and enriching others’ lives.
Have a story to share? Email us at submissions@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
