Enduring Aluminum Artwork Gets a Refresh in Colorado

The iron has rusted and the paint faded, but the underlying aluminum artwork of “Kaleidoscreen,” an outdoor sculpture in Aspen, Colorado, endured. The artwork, commissioned by the former Alcoa Inc. in 1957, got a refurbishment recently that brought one of famed artist Herbert Bayer’s pieces back to life.

As Alcoa Inc. – the predecessor company to current-day Alcoa Corp. that formed in 2016 – sought new uses for aluminum, the company turned to internationally known artist Bayer, who was working in Aspen. Alcoa was commissioning “outstanding designs for the future” and later advertised Bayer’s functional sculpture – a unique sun and wind screen - as part of its “forecast of tomorrow’s outdoor fun.”

“Herbert Bayer was known as someone who would bring a completely original view to his design,” explains Andrew Travers, the Penner Manager of Education Programs at the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies at The Aspen Institute. “Alcoa was looking for new uses for aluminum and what an artist could do with a free rein.”

The “Kaleidoscreen” was installed near the swimming pool at the Aspen Meadows Hotel. The seven-foot-tall and 12-foot-wide sculpture has seven panels with vibrant colors on one side and textured aluminum patterns on the other. The panels, which were fabricated at the former Alcoa’s New Kensington Works in Pennsylvania, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. A manual gear crank system allowed the panels to turn in unison to provide shade from the sun, block wind or open to catch a breeze.

Aspen’s weather took a toll on the sculpture. The iron gear crank that moved the panels corroded, which caused the system to freeze in place. Paint colors faded due to sun exposure.

“Using aluminum was a great idea,” says Mike Carpenter, the sculpture’s restoration project manager from EverGreene Architectural Arts. “Basically, everything that wasn’t aluminum doesn’t work anymore. Everything that is aluminum is still intact.”

During restoration, the team discovered the sculpture’s original color palette, which is typical of the 1950s and juxtaposes neutral and vibrant colors. It also found that two panels on the colorful side had aluminum leaf, Bayer’s modern interpretation of the art deco style. The other side features seven different textures of aluminum.

Bayer was one of the most influential and prolific artists of the Bauhaus School of Design in Weimer, Germany. He moved to Aspen in 1946 and for the next 30 years helped shape the mountain town into a world-class destination for skiing, the arts and culture. Bayer designed the grounds and buildings of what became the Aspen Institute, including the Aspen Meadows Hotel and Reception Center where the restored sculpture now stands and can be visited by the public.

Bayer was among the leading artists and designers that Alcoa invited to create novel applications of aluminum in art, architecture, and design between 1956 and 1960. Their work became part of Alcoa’s “Forecast” advertising campaign. The kick-off ad said: “Forecast: There’s a world of aluminum in the wonderful world of tomorrow…rich in comforts, eye-delighting in color and form. And so Alcoa will present a broad collection of outstanding designs, to be shown in pages like this one. They will let you glimpse the lightness and brightness and beauty of aluminum that will come into your home and into your life…in the wonderful world of tomorrow.”

A video of the rededication ceremony is available at https://youtu.be/qsEOKJh7fbc?si=k4RDMmLxcrZ4bWFM