The Walker shop sells a product called Q-Ba-Maze, a Lego-like system of clear/colored plastic cubes that kids (or you) can fit together to sculpt … well, virtually anything. Drop a marble into any hole, stand back and watch the magic. I bring you this little commission-free plug because the Walker tapped architect-turned-Q-Ba-Maze founder Andrew Comfort to fill the shop display window facing Hennepin Avenue with something colorful, grand and plastic. With the help of University of Minnesota art and architecture students, Comfort spent most of Monday (and likely much of today) installing a giant replica of a red snapper. Eavesdrop dropped in on his process.
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This fish is an amazing effort that required several hands and minds for its completion. Andrew and I designed this project over a very short weekend, and I would like to comment that I am impressed with how it has come together by the efforts of Ben, Lucy, Peter, David, Sarah, and of course (the maestro) Andrew. [For any of those mentioned, I apologize for any misspellings of your names]. I recommend checking out this structure at night to see it glow.
Comment by Patrick Vincent — 2/26/2008 @ 10:50 am
I enjoyed hearing about Andrew’s progress from NY architect to developer. Could you drop a still photo of his Grandfather’s marble slide…having seen it at the St. Paul campus exhibit, it would help with visualization. I also liked hearing about the various ways the cubes can be used.
Carol Comfort Hill
Comment by Carol C Hill — 2/27/2008 @ 10:40 pm
…
huh, where’s the payoff? no marble drop?
sheesh!
…
Comment by jack — 2/28/2008 @ 10:19 am
Hi Jack — I actually taped a ball-drop, but the ball is so small, and the color of the cubes so strong, that you really couldn’t make out the ball on the tape as it wound from the top of the fish to the bottom.
Comment by Matt Peiken — 2/28/2008 @ 10:49 am