Heart of Steel (Hemoglobin)

Julian Voss-Andreae

Description of Image:

(2005)  Weathering steel and glass, height 5’

Location: 1st Street / ”A” Avenue, City of Lake Oswego, OR

“Heart of Steel (Hemoglobin)” was inspired by the structure of human hemoglobin, the red oxygen-carrying molecule in our blood. Blood gets its red color through oxygen binding to iron atoms in the hemoglobin molecule, the chemical basis of breathing. The same chemical reaction occurs as Heart of Steel is exposed to the elements: the weathering steel covers itself with an oxide layer preventing it from further corrosion. The images show the sculpture right after installation, after 10 days, and after 1 month of exposure to the elements (see detail images below). The intricately shaped steel piece contains a large red glass sphere in its center. Due to its complex structure, the sculpture reacts sensitively to wind and touch, answering each push with an unexpected shiver which again resembles the dynamics of the actual molecule (“protein quake”). Last year Heart of Steel was featured in Science,309, 2150 (2005).

Detail of Image: