PROJECT OVERVIEW: Ryan Braun's New OUTDOOR PATIO BAR, and The Tragic Death of a Miscellaneous Irish American Laborer

Considering the massive success that came from the genius implementation of Ryan Braun's main bar, its not very surprising that months later, iNViDiA Design got another call from the lovely folks at RB's Waterfront, and this time, it was about all the lovely space they seemed to have open on their beautiful patio deck overlooking the Milwaukee river. Ryan Braun's Waterfront, undoubtably boasts one of Milwaukee's premier spots along the riverfront, so when Ken and Aaron were approached to extend the magnificent interior bar onto the patio- they were obviously up for the task.

In respects to the pouring, and all of iNViDiA's in-house work, there was nothing particularly daunting about the project this time around. As usual, there was somewhat of a time crunch- but it really didn't compare to the first Braun job we had, and right when we thought we might get away with a job simply going AS PLANNED, we were immediately proven otherwise upon reaching the installation site, and finding that the sub-structure that had been built to hold the massive counter-top, was not going to fit our design. Such is life I suppose, right? Of course, Ken and Aaron found a way to remedy the situation, and even managed to get Dave to document our installation! YAY!

So take a moment to join us in creating excellence, or perhaps better put- watch us as WE create excellence! Photography is compliments once again, of Dave Schrimpf, so go ahead, soak it in, and then go have a drink at Ryan Braun's Waterfront, to "REVIEW" our work, and while your at it, have a few drinks! Don't be surprised if were hanging out there too!

An important part of the water-fed grinding portion of the job, is to soften the edges of the counter-top a bit, so it does not chip when you install it, or when you drunkenly break a beer on it for a good ole' bar brawl! Usually, an intern smacks his head on the edge to test the counter-top, and if it bruises, its perfect. If it draws blood, then its probably a bit too sharp of an angle, and Aaron has to hit it again with a finer grit.

Here, Ken tries his best to show some poor, drunken, irish immigrant how to slurry the surface of the counter top.

Ken works quickly to seal these counter-top pieces before it starts to rain- hurry Ken, hurry! Since this is an outdoor bar, it's especially important that the coats of sealer take to the surface- sitting water could potentially damage that oh-so-impressive sheen that the guys work so hard to obtain. A few surface coats of sealer relinquishes the possibility of any moisture, or pooling liquid from absorbing into the pores of the cement, successfully keeping the bar so fresh and so clean! Aint nobody dope as iNViDiA!

The foggier quality seen on the surface of this top, is due to the drying sealant Ken just applied- don't worry though guys, it'll dry up and look magnificent, I promise! That lovely gritty texture on the surface, is achieved by sprinkling broken shards of glass on the surface of the mold before pouring.

As any of our jobs go, there always seems to be some unexpected surprises that make the task excruciatingly difficult, or at least, a serious pain in the butt. Since the iNViDiA Design crew is particularly skilled at spontaneous problem solving, the latter is most often the case, and a little elbow grease always manages to get the job done. Whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger right? That might be true and all, but I'm still not sure that it justifies all the broken bones that Ken and Aaron give each other...

So as you can see, the bars top had to be removed by us, because it wouldn't fit between the overhanging lips of the counter-top's underside. Much of the time, the work that goes into the bars foundation, is underdeveloped, and quite frankly, sub-par, because the contractors know that their work is going to be covered by ours. Put another way, the focus of their job here, is openly function over form. Problems arise however, when the functional aspect is questionable (like an unstable base), or, in this case, when the measurements are so vague, that they do not fit our design.

Because the base of the bar was so off from what we had expected, we were forced to call in the general contractor, to help us make the foundation of the bar fit the concrete pieces that are obviously, unchangeable at this point. In the meantime, we begin to fit the hurricane-grade acrylic panels into their metal frames, which are proudly fabricated in-house, by good old Carl. With obvious intentions to match the inside and outside decors, these frames are the same design as seen in the interior of the restaurant.

The popular iNViDiA patented panels, are meant to line the front and side of the bar, and be illuminated from behind using rope lights. The outcome promises to be a spectacular combination of efficiency, aesthetic, and functional support, since the panels will actually sit under the weight of the bars edge, and help to keep it stable. In the background, a fresh new iNViDiA intern, Eliseo, explains why he wasn't able to steal an ostrich from a cage at the zoo, as Ken demanded he do for his initiation into the company. Ken looks down with a fatherly gaze seeming to say, I'm not angry at you, I'm just disappointed... Someday Ken, you'll get your ostrich. Someday.

Since the view from Ryan Braun's Waterfront is so splendid, and the third ward bridge is so close, it is essential to make sure that the lighting illuminates the grandiose structure for all to see, and also functions as a beacon of quality and achievement for iNViDiA Design to be able to claim as their own. Ideally, people will drive across the bridge, see the gorgeously lit/seemingly magical bar we made, and in a frenzy of over-excited awe, they will turn towards the illuminated structure, and drive right off the bridge! ALL BECAUSE OF HOW AWESOME OUR BAR TURNED OUT! Perhaps it would be a morbid testament to the quality of our work, but iNViDiA Design selflessly promises to sponsor any funerals that happen as a result of their greatness.

We call the pro's in, and like the busy little beavers that they are, they immediately re-create the sub-structure of the bar to fit our hefty slabs of cement counter-top. Those guys are such good sports! As much as iNViDiA insists upon the quality of their work, it takes the hands of several to help us get many of our jobs done. It's kinda like iNViDiA is the star quarterback- sure, we make it all happen, and we look damn good doing it- but we still need the rest of the team... Unless Aaron and Ken do figure out how to clone themselves. If that happens, then screw everyone else.

Asides from making sure that the bar has a hearty enough sub-structure to withhold all the girls from the restaurant dancing on its top, we also need to be sure it is level, so cocktails and stiletto heels don't slip off easily. Aaron and Ken weigh out their options in the small problem they have come across, being that one of the planks in the deck is slightly higher than the rest.

The guys somehow manage to overcome the problem, making the bar nice and level- no thanks to immigrant laborer Richard McKee who stands around uselessly. Good thing iNViDiA's contract with him, only requires that he be paid with a six pack of 16 .oz Milwaukee's Best's, and 8 potato's (Idaho potatoes, not those delicious red ones). This is one of the last seen photographs of Richard McKee, who mysteriously disappeared after this job. Rumor has it, that iNViDiA Design only had one position available, and there was a battle to the death between Eliseo, and McKee for the job...

Orientating the enormous pieces into their perfect fit, is often times a quite grueling process involving allot of flipping, swapping, shimming, and lifting. When it all comes together perfectly though, its definitely worth all the hard work and heavy lifting. Eliseo measures the overhang between the wood substructure, the frame tops, and the lip of the counter-top. This way, when the bar is perfectly in place, we can all disregard whatever numerical differences he came up with, using his fancy shmancy ruler. Ken and Aaron measure in units of sweat, pain, and greatness only!

The bar comes together slowly but surely, and Eliseo is told to stand in the corner, as punishment for playing with his silly "ruler" toy too much. At this point, Ken and Aaron abandon the metric system entirely, in favor of the "tetris" system, which focuses on squares, blocks, and rectangular shapes fitting together seamlessly, and edges remaining flush. It's actually a pretty damn good system.

Entirely irrelevant to iNViDiA, and custom concrete design in general, but anyhow, heres a short list of possible things Ken is doing in this picture:

1. first and foremost, I'd say it looks like Ken is hopping like a bunny. A peter rabbit imitation perhaps?

2. "The Crip Walk," maybe? I don't even know how to explain this gansta' dance, or, why on earth Ken would be doing it...

3. Maybe someone just hiked the invisible football, to imaginary "quarterback Ken." This one looks like it could be a hail merry! Who's open?

4. Anyone who had gym class, probably had a teacher who made you do "Up-Downs," it pretty much involves a spastic in-place jogging portion, followed by the coach/teacher blowing the whistle, signaling for you to hit the ground push-up style, and then you hop back to your feet continuing the pee-your-pants dance as fast as possible. Maybe that one's a bit of a stretch though...

Eliseo practices his ninja like moves, to make sure his body and mind are fully attuned to doing what he knows best- ruthlessly pummeling combatants using the skills he learned from his personal sansei master, Billy Maze. You probably know him from the OXY CLEAN commercials, but what most people don't know, is that Billy Maze was originally, an undercover ninja assassin, who was trained by Chuck Norris himself. Billy applied his deadly talents and profound knowledge later in life, to develop aggressive cleaning solutions that beat stains, as ruthlessly as Billy used to beat people!

When Billy passed away, Eliseo swore to channel his knowledge of the deadly ninja craft, into something useful, and thats what brought him to the concrete design business. So why is he practicing the sacred ninja motions now I wonder? Hmmmm...

Pink foam is used religiously in moving counter-tops from place to place. With it being such a brittle material like it is, and of course with its substantial weight, it is essential to cushion it whenever it is being put down. When the counter tops are in place, they are very durable, however, moving them around, dangerously uses their own weight, to their own disadvantage.

Tragically, this is the last photograph we will ever see of Richard McKee. Having overlooked Eliseo's knowledge of the deadly ninja arts, McKee agreed to fight for his position with iNViDiA Design, and only seconds after this photograph, he suffered a sudden impact blow to the chest, that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal claimed, "...exploded his chest and stuff, before sending him through the fence, and into his watery grave in the smelly river below."

Although the loss was tragic, iNViDiA Design moves on. When asked, iNViDiA partners Aaron and Ken said, "well, at least we don't have to buy anymore beer and potatoes for that lazy mick." Although the duo appeared unaffected in the Sentinal's inquiries, there was a tone of sadness that dampened the air. I think I even saw a tear in Kens eye, as he laughed maniacally when recalling the incident of McKee's death. Perhaps a defense mechanism in dealing with the loss of their miscellaneous Irish American laborer? We will never know.

Rumor has it, that McKee's ghost arises from the stinking river every so often- if you listen carefully, you can still hear his voicemails. A ghostly whine, requesting his money for cheap beer and potatoes. Perhaps iNViDiA will never escape McKee's ghost, haunting them insistingly...

FINAL PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION:

Once again, we got dave working on the photography, and therefore, my idle words got nothin' on the finished product! If you need some emotional direction for your viewing, I would say you should go with "AWE" as a general feeling. Keep a towel handy, to clean up all the drool...

M.A.R.S. PRESENTS: A Brief Overview of "The Cell Phone Photo Gallery," Curated By Joseph R. Reeves

After Ken and Aaron made the decision about being open to host other non-M.A.R.S. shows occasionally, they announced the protocol for submissions as being a proposal based format, and in almost no time at all, they were already receiving proposals. The very first proposal, was from emerging artist, Joseph R. Reeves. It was a lengthy 8 page proposal, outlining the concept, and over-all implementation of his idea for a cell phone photo gallery.

Extensive writing about the concept, and implementation of the show, can be found at the artists personal blog, www.josephREEVES.blogspot.com

Here is a short excerpt of some of Reeves writing concerning the show, as well as documentation of the exhibition. For more, check out the link to Reeves' blog listed above.

...This is a gallery opportunity for the everyday American who ALMOST DEFINITELY has a phone with a camera on it- even my mom has one. By relieving this curatorial power from the hands of the gallery, we can see for once, an honest show of photography that reveals not only what the average person wants to see in a gallery, but the converse agenda of contributors who expose photos anonymously, in an unintentional effect of revealing exactly how else camera phones are being used. No matter what variation of personal meaning the unproclaimed 'artists' actually have when contributing their photos, the literal treatment of these works in a serious gallery context- and while among clusters of many, many other cell phone photos- strangely transforms these beautiful, odd, humorous, and always interesting photographs into something you might find in a fine art photo show normally. This effect also leads to a beautiful, and transformative reality for the everyday american, in understanding that art is anything, and anywhere; and the term "artist", is really just an umbrella term...

Using social networking devices such as text messaging, and Facebook, I was able to generate allot of interest in the show, and even more importantly, I was able to boost the number of submissions a bit. The main efforts we put forth with our highly modest budget, were in pounding the pavement, hitting the street, and littering Milwaukee with fliers requesting that people submit us their favorite cell phone photos for the gallery. An important aspect of my approach, was that all the photographs would remain entirely anonymous, and pretty much anything was acceptable as content.

...Opening these subversive possibilities up to complete strangers, was intriguing to me, because in a sense, it gives a very broad audience, a certain amount of control over the content as a whole. In this way, my role as "curator," is both loose, and debatable. To this extent, I believe I am working towards the idea of using curating, as a medium in itself.

I collected over 600 pictures for The Cell Phone Photo Gallery, and I see this project, as one that will continue to develop through the years. As I continue to travel, I am beginning to flirt with the notion of collecting photos regionally, but like usual, I will make those decisions as they come.

The idea of representing the photos eventually in a book, is also a possibility, and if you're interested in providing me with space for a show, or are interested in the possibilities of seeing this idea in print, e mail JOSEPHREEVESART@YAHOO.COM

I could sit here and elaborate on this exhibition till the cows come home, but to a certain extent, I feel like doing so, would limit the convenient elbow room I left you for contemplation- so, UN-like a curator, I am going to shut the hell up, and let you do some inventing. No short cuts to thinking around here folks, sorry…

Taken from: www.josephREEVES.blogspot.com

PROJECT OVERVIEW: Re-Modeling The Jacobus's Gorgeous Lake House, and The Massive On-Site Counter-top Pour

When we initially went to scope out the framework and cabinetry for the Jacobus' enormous residential counter-top job, I could have easily been fooled into thinking iNViDiA was about to be featured on one of "MTV's" obnoxious hit reality T.V. shows, like "Cribz," which in layman terms to our elderly audience, is a show titled in reference to the owners "pimped out" houses. When young folks say that a house is pimped out, it of course, means that the home reflects an owners highly eloquent sense of taste, and the sub-text, arguably refers to the manifestation of the home as being a result of social or financial affluence. A pimped out crib, is a model for the newest trends in high design, and is furnished with only the finest of decor, along with, of course, being healthily stocked with select wines, and the plushest of toilet paper available for ones butt. It should also be noted, that the "z" in Cribz, is purely accidental. How that spelling error got past the executives at MTV, I'll never know.

So now that I've relinquished any possible linguistic differences, and we're all on the same page, I'll continue in saying that this was an absolutely gorgeous home, with a most spectacular view of Lake Michigan right in the back yard. As this was one of the first on-site jobs I had the pleasure of being a part of, I hadn't fully appreciated yet, the fact that this lovely scenery would be our temporary work space!

The tentative kitchen re-modeling- a stretch to say within itself, considering that a whole new kitchen was created- so, more aptly put: the tentative kitchen design (much better), called for custom counter space in the entire kitchen, which was composed of: a long, several piece counter-top that fit their stove, and integrated numerous custom design elements, including raised stainless steel strips to elevate hot pots and pans (found conveniently on both left and right sides of the stove); another substantially sized single-piece counter, fit precisely for the island sink, that included the inlay for a custom made cutting board; an enormous (as in the largest piece we have ever poured!) island bar/counter-top that fit to overlook the sink island; as well as a smaller wine-nook counter-top that featured some interesting coins and trinkets that were inlayed into the surface at the Jacobus' request. This job, from the very beginning, was recognized as a wonderful opportunity for iNViDiA DESIGN to flex its creative muscles, while still demonstrating the punch of Aaron and Ken's quick, efficient, highly personable, and labor-intensive business principals.

So, as the molds were being produced, we all took the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the layout of the kitchen, and the placement and over-all implementation of the extra design elements that had been cleverly sewn into the enormous counter-top's we were preparing to pour...

Here, we see Ken walking into what is being transformed into the new kitchen and dining room. It seems to be a potentially glamorous addition to the already beautiful home. That is, if all goes according to plan....

This what we we're working with in the very beginning. Not quite what you would call pimped out right? Not yet at least... keep a mental picture of this one here, so you can feel the fully charged blast of "holey-crap-what-an-amazing-transition," that is going to take place right before your very eyes, compliments of the iNViDiA team!

Another dramatic "before" shot, depicting Aaron discussing the full details of the project, with the general contractor. Maybe Aaron is quizzing him to make sure he knows his zoning laws, but more than likely, he's asking where a good place to get a sandwich is around here.

A potential problem on iNViDiA's end, is always the possibility of other contractors work not lining up with the plans, or our installation needs being overlooked. For good measure, it is always crucial to check everything over, to make sure that the numbers and measurements are where we need them to be. More often then not, a few half an inches fall through the cracks somehow, and alterations are necessary.

Matt, Aaron, and Ken begin mixing one of many bags of cement for this enormous counter top piece. Because of the sheer enormity of this counter top in particular, we ended up having to pour it outside the Jacobus' house to save ourselves from having to carry and transport the despicably heavy object an extra time.

With pieces as extraordinarily large as this one, or in other instances, overtly complex- the importance of securing your pour, and the procedure behind it, becomes more and more of a focus. In this situation, the weight of the counter top without full support, can potentially crack itself in the drying. Because of this, the huge mold was kept on the trailer for the entire pour, and through the entire next night, so we could be absolutely sure that the next time we took the risk of moving it, it would be the de-molding, and installation. Keeping it on the trailer gave it full support in comparison to the way the horses might unevenly distribute the weight, and it also saved us from having to lift the beast from the ground, onto the horses, for the grinding and slurrying process.

The biggest issue when dealing with a mold of this size, is the fact that it literally cannot be moved with a team as small as our pour team. When Ken and Aaron finish the super-strength robotic bodies they are working on in the shop, they might not have the same problem, but until then, we have Carl to help us.

Once all 9 bags of cement mix are poured, everyone works quickly to smooth out any surface imperfections. When the mixing is done, it can be a particularly tense moment in the process, and one where everyone needs to really be on their toes (and their hands and knees), to make sure this last precious time is used to make the form as clean, smooth, and flawless as possible. Any humps, or imperfections that are left, are taken out with an angle grinder, and since this takes 3 times as long, it is essential to make major changes when the cement is still partially malleable.

When you pour as many as 9 bags in one mold, it is done in 3 sequential batches, and it becomes essential to prevent the first 3 bags from being hardened before the final batch. A cost effective way to make this happen, is to invest a few extra bucks in drying retardants. By using the drying retardants in the first two batches of the pour, you can actually chemically alter the drying times, so that all 9 bags are coming into their final stages of setting, at the same time! When you pour a piece this large, you have to look at the cost of labor and materials over all, and to ensure that the piece turns out without any flaws, it is worth it to spend the few extra dollars on retardants, to literally, buy you some extra time to perfect the form.

Another difficult aspect of this mold- contributing to its overwhelming weight, and the difficulty of the overall form- is the 3 inch drip ledge that you can see is being cleaned up in its final stages. Aesthetically, the drip ledge makes the counter appear that it is even more massive than it already really is, and the sheer weight, visually, comes off with a wonderfully grandiose feeling of permanence. These overhangs, although elegant, make it much more difficult to pour since you have to spend so much time meticulously filling them; also, they are nothing but a burden to the mold maker. They also make a form particularly difficult to level out exactly, since you cannot use a board as a skim, to make sure the surface is perfect. I'll stop complaining soon though, I swear.

Ahh yes, the good 'ole laying of the templates- always a procedure involving debate, second guessing, and re-measuring. This is not anyone's fault, and there is no real remedy except for everyone taking a solid ten minutes to overlook everything, and make sure that the right move is about to be made. It would seem simple enough, but the problem is that mold making in general, involves a very back words way of thinking, since most often, you are actually working on the piece upside down, and considering the way it would sit, if it were right side up. It pains me to even try explaining it...

A unique aspect of Aaron and Kens green friendly, no waste approach, is that most of the time they pour, there is an extra mold waiting to be filled in case they mix more than needed. Such was the case with our big boy, and luckily for us, we had a sink mold just waiting to be poured!

Here, we see Aaron grinding away anything that might be uneven. Notice that with this monster piece, it stays exactly where it was the day before, on the trailer- even if it might be easier to grind it on the horse, you only move a counter top of this weight, when you absolutely must. Carl stands nearby casually, making sure that the work is done right. Every time someone screws up, they get punched in the face by Carl. Call it tough love, call it dedication to quality, call it physical abuse, or even assault and battery- no matter what, you can't deny that these guys are dedicated to getting the job done right.

Ken puts the first coats of sealant on one of the pieces, as Carl observes, once again. Since its such good weather for a beating, we all work tirelessly under Carl's massive shadow.

Ken applies a few coats of the sealant, and checks it over thoroughly to make sure that Carl won't find any imperfections. Once this final coat dries, a second solution is applied to give the surface a perfect sheen, and protect it from spills. The various sealants that are used, work to protect it from stains, and general ware and tear. No matter what though, a simple extent of maintenance, and caution is necessary to keep the surface as beautiful as it is once finished.

Flipping the piece, and de-molding it, is a particularly difficult task with a counter top as heavy as this. It must be handled with a surprising amount of care to the distribution of the weight on all ends, and no matter what, allot of pink foam is necessary in keeping edges from chipping, and surfaces from cracking. Also needed to flip a piece this heavy, is a Carl.

Normally, a large piece might not be as heavy as this one was, but as the surface area increases, it is necessary to make it thicker, so, asides from the 3 inch overhangs, the full piece is a solid 2 inches all the way through. ONLY considering the dried concrete used for this piece, it is still a whopping 540 pounds! Thats not even including the countless gallons of water that are added to the mix.

Here, we can see that the bug-holes in this piece are fairly large. They will, of course, be filled with slurry in the end, and although this might not be necessarily desired, they will be a beautiful effect aesthetically- after we all spend hours filling them that is!

Here you can see the sink layout, as it is carefully placed on the nearby horses for finishing and slurrying. There is a knock-out template for the sink to fit into, and next to it, is a shallow inlay designed to hold the custom cutting board being created. Because of the shallow inlay in this piece, it is important to be especially careful when handling it, so it doesn't crack.

FINAL PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION:

For the final documentation, we pulled out the big guns, and featured photographer David Schrimpf. David is one of the latest additions to the selectively designated iNViDiA DESIGN crew, and I think you will find that his approach of finesse, is a breath of fresh air compared to some of our previous photography that is a bit more "on the whim," we will say. Call it lazy journalism on my part, or call it selective typing- either way, I think that it is best to let the work speak for itself, and keep my comments out of these gorgeous photos that Dave was good enough to supply us with.

So, enjoy the luscious photography, compliments of Dave; the truly amazing final product, compliments of iNViDiA DESIGN; the wonderfully warm home, compliments of the Jacobus family; and my choice to shut the hell up for once, compliments of... me...