Quetzalcoatlus
I began creating this sculpture in the fall of 2023, and I completed it in spring 2024. Its permanent home is Warner Steel in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The sculpture is a 16-foot-tall Quetzalcoatlus dinosaur made of mild steel, cast aluminum teeth, and lots and lots of found objects. It weighs close to 2500 lbs and is by far the largest thing I have created to date. The quetzalcoatlus was the largest flying creature ever to have roamed Earth, with a wingspan of almost 40 feet. My sculpture is close to the real adult size they would have been back then, with a height of 16 feet, a beak of 9 feet, and a neck of almost 10 feet.
I decided to create a 16-foot-tall dinosaur because I really wanted to make a giant sculpture I could climb on. I used common objects like old tools, car parts, and even silverware (including a longhorn steak knife, oops). I wanted people to be able to look at my dinosaur and begin to recognize parts. This allows them to feel more connected. I even put a cast-iron bird bath right behind the neck on the body to act as a seat.
Making of:
Below are some progress pictures I took while welding my dinosaur together. I first began with a wooden version to get my proportions right, then I moved on to creating a steel understructure before adding all the tools and other elements. The head is detachable from the body by sliding it into a channel in the body. The wings are also bolted on.
