relax. The zoo directors wanted large-scale sculptures to announce the entrances to each habitat, and the zoo librarian sent me reference material on the collection of animal and plant life. Working closely with the design department and the animal keepers, I created two sets of paired entry sculptures. Communally based collaborations are quite interesting to me.
CT: Do you work with an explicit set of fabricators?
AS: I've worked with the same people for many years. Laser is the perfect tool for me because my technicians can replicate my line.
CT: In addition to steel, you've worked in various materials, including carved glass, cast concrete, and terrazzo, and your drawing line and sense of design always tie the work together.
AS: In one of my projects for New Jersey Transit, I was asked to use carved glass for a double wind- screen at Liberty State Park Station. It was interesting to play, with line depth and various textural effects on the surface. It made me think about things I hadn't considered, since I used printmaking and etching techniques.
CT: Aside from your private works, you've done public sculpture in parks, schools, zoos, and transit systems. What is your main concern as a public artist?
AS: It certainly is not always easy to achieve consensus among the concerned parties. But my experience has given me faith in the public art dialogue. When cities, states, the federal government, and corporations are willing to fund public art, people understand they are being considered. My role as an artist is to negotiate this interaction, to work with both the community and the commissioning bodies to reach consensus.

Carolee Thea is a writer and curator based in New York, and a frequent contributor to Sculpture.