Due to our high standards in finishes and quality, we are becoming increasingly involved in the art and sculpture world. The most recent and high profile example has been shown at the prestigious Frieze Art Fair

Taking place every October in Regents Park, and attracting over 60,000 people over its five days, the art fair provides a unique opportunity to view and purchase work by leading artists from across the world.

We were requested to design and produce a stand to hold a 4 meter long helicopter blade on its end. The main base was steel angle welded to create a frame, approximately 3 foot square and 2 foot high. Two stainless steel plates were designed to hold the blade, CNC machined, polished and chrome plated with a base plate to hold them to the frame.

The base plate was bolted in place, and the helicopter blade bolted between the plates. Chrome caps covered the bolt heads to achieve the seamless aesthetics of the stand. The artist, Fiona Banner, had chosen an oak veneer for the base and an aperture was cut into the veneer to slot over the plates.

Fiona Banner was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 2002, and has used aviation as a theme in her work previously. In June this year the Tate Britain displayed two fighter jets, a Jaguar and a Harrier, commissioned by Fiona. The Jaguar’s paintwork had been stripped and polished to a mirror finish, with the Harrier being hung by the tail with the nose only inches from the floor for a breathtaking effect.