Hi, I’m the artist Roger Reutimann. You’re looking at my sculpture called “Common Unity.” When I was invited to show my work at the Arvada Center, I wanted to create this site-specific sculpture which reflects the nature of the institution. I wanted to evoke a sense of cultural interaction; a place where people share and exchange artistic knowledge, talents, and skills. As a result, I came up with two stylized, identical figures in a gesture that suggests this exchange of dialogue.
Scale was certainly a factor, in order to not get lost in this 17-acre field. When I was given a tour through the arts center, I was inspired by some of the ceramic work I had seen there. The high-gloss white automotive finish is a reflection of the impression of ceramic glazing. I started off by sculpting the figures in plaster in its full size, then I made molds from the originals, which I then used to make the fiberglass casts. Some stainless steel was added for structural support, then the surfaces of the fiberglass sculptures were refined by adding automotive primers and fillers and by sanding into a perfectly smooth, car-like finish before finally spray painting with multiple coats of polyester automotive paint.
