In Conversation with H. Grace Boyle: Sculptor and Creator of Public Art
- May 8
- 7 min read
Updated: May 9
Formplay No. 2 and Bringing Studio Work to the Public
When New Orleans sculptor H. Grace Boyle decided to scale up a small assemblage of marble candlestick holders into a 16-foot public sculpture, she knew she'd need a fabrication partner who understood both the technical challenges and the artistic vision.
Formplay No. 2, now installed on Veterans Boulevard in Metairie, represents a turning point in Grace's career – her largest public commission to date, and a piece that required precision engineering, creative problem-solving, and the kind of collaboration that turns ambitious ideas into reality.
We sat down with Grace to talk about her path to stone carving, what it was like working with Denali on Formplay No. 2, and her newest commission, currently taking shape in the shop.
Guided By Intuition
Grace, can you tell us a bit about your background? How did you end up working with stone?
I came to stone carving intuitively. My undergraduate degree is in chemistry from UNO, and I completed my first marble sculpture in my early twenties. I didn't know enough to know I couldn't do it, so I just did it. I approached it with an ignorance that worked in my favor.
I felt the sculpture with my hands to check if each contour was right. I used my own hands as reference, making the form in oil-based clay over and over until I didn't need the model anymore – it lived in my memory and my body. That's still how I work. Stone carving is deeply intuitive for me, a slow peeling away of everything that blocks the final form.
That's such a unique way to approach sculpture. What draws you to pairing carved stone with found objects?
There's something truthful in pairing painstakingly carved pieces with everyday objects. That oppositional playfulness...the high and the low, the labored and the effortless... that's what my practice is about.
Stone carving is physically demanding and achingly slow. It's boring, in the way that deep focus can be boring. But the result feels nothing short of miraculous.
Your public sculptures are quite different from your gallery assemblages. How do you think about that distinction?
Public sculpture is more like a (wonderful!) job. I don't have as much creative freedom making the public pieces – there are parameters. You have to adhere to certain requirements. It's very different from what I would put in a gallery. But I believe art should be accessible to everyone, and public art lets me put work out in the world where anyone can experience it.
The Evolution of Formplay into Formplay No.2
Let's talk about Formplay No. 2. What was the original concept?
Formplay No. 2 is a scaled-up version of Formplay, a sculpture I made from eleven commercially made U-shaped marble candlestick holders. Studio Waveland + Gallery had an exhibition where the premise was to make art from items purchased at Dirt Cheap stores. After experimenting with compositions of the candlestick holders, I found one that was simple, elegant, and also playful. When I had the opportunity to make a public sculpture for Veterans Boulevard, I used the same form.
At what point did you bring Denali on board?
I brought Denali on at the outset. We cultivated a relationship beginning with meetings through the St. Claude Arts District events, continuing with Denali assisting in the transportation of my sculptures that were in out-of-town exhibitions. That led me to be around the shop more. I saw the level of excellence they met in their projects and the care they took in the transportation of my work, and I decided to partner with them on Formplay No. 2.
I was at a point in my career where I was commissioned to make a sculpture that was outside the scope of my capabilities alone. I needed value engineering and a partner that had the capacity and expertise to assist in completing a public piece on a scale larger than my three previous large-scale sculptures.
What was the collaboration like with Dan and the Denali team?
It was exciting, not to mention a great relief, to know I was working with a team of experts. It is thrilling to be commissioned to make large-scale public sculpture, but also anxiety-provoking.
Getting the large steel arches to line up to ensure the symmetry of the work was technically demanding. The visual movement of the sculpture relies on this symmetry, so if the steel square tube frame were misaligned even a little bit, the whole piece would not be as aesthetically satisfying or balanced.
What about the surface treatment? That stucco finish is so distinctive.
The surface was another potential sticking point. The stucco had to be evenly applied on curved, inverted surfaces and around corners. Denali is made up of a team of artists and fabricators who are highly skilled in multiple areas. Between all of us – our knowledge, collective skill sets, and being able to create solutions to unpredictable dilemmas – we were able to create a show-stopper of a sculpture!
What was it like seeing the piece take shape in the shop?
Exhilarating and a little surreal! The piece is close to sixteen feet tall, so it was very imposing in the shop.
Transporting & Installing a 16-foot Piece of Public Art
Once it was fabricated, you had to get it to the site. How did that work?
The Denali team engineered and fabricated a steel A-frame structure to accommodate Formplay No. 2. The sculpture was oriented horizontally on the truck but was suspended by the edge of the base plate and the eye bolt at the top. The concern was that the faces would be crushed if it was allowed to rest on its side – the weight of the piece was two and one-quarter tons.
And the actual installation?
The installation was a collaboration between Jefferson Parish and Denali. The weight and scale of the sculpture were considerable. After the crane provided by Jefferson Parish put the sculpture in place, Denali drilled holes in the cement pad, set bolts, took the eye bolt out of the top, and made other final adjustments to the work.
How has the community responded?
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding the sculpture from the community. That's one of the things I love about public art – it reaches people who might never walk into a gallery.
What's Next: Fat Tuesday Flirt
You're working on another public commission with Denali right now. Can you tell us about it?
Yes – it's called Fat Tuesday Flirt, and it's almost finished! I'm excited to get it out there. It's another piece that pushes scale and has required the same kind of collaboration and problem-solving that Denali excels at. We've had a lot of fun with this one.
(Keep an eye out for an upcoming post on Fat Tuesday Flirt!)
What would you want other artists to know about working with Denali?
Denali's team has a wide knowledge base, and everyone wears multiple hats and does it well. They understand where artists are coming from because many of them are artists themselves. They don't just execute what's on paper – they figure out solutions that elevate your final piece.
"Different ideas require different forms"
You work across assemblages, figurative sculpture, and public art, and you've even been doing watercolors. How do you think about all these different modes of making?
I have a broad practice, and people say my work looks like it comes from different artists – but I see this as a strength. Different ideas require different forms. The through-line is always intention, craft, and a commitment to making work that belongs to everyone, even though it can only be made by me.
I want viewers to think and feel something, even if what they feel is discomfort or curiosity. So these different modes of making help me explore these themes more easily.
What does the future hold for you and your practice? What are you looking forward to?
Since graduating from my MFA in 2023, I went through getting out of graduate school, then I had some losses, and things just happened. I'm just now starting to get back to making things. There are ideas I'm really excited about. And I'm caring less and less about what people think, which is good. A fire has been lit. I'm done playing small. I want to really knock it out of the park.
Any last thoughts you'd like to share?
Art should be accessible to everyone. That's my number one belief.
I want to make things that invite people in, that make them think and feel. If I had unlimited resources, I'd carve big marble pieces and just leave them out on the neutral grounds around New Orleans!
Well, we hope to see that one day, Grace!
Formplay No. 2 stands as a testament to what's possible when artists choose collaborators who not only understand but elevate their vision. At 16 feet tall and 2.25 tons, it's a sculpture that demanded some serious problem-solving and precision. We couldn't be prouder to have a hand in its creation.
As we assist with fabricating her newest commission, Fat Tuesday Flirt, we're reminded why we do this work: to help artists realize ambitious visions that might otherwise remain impossible.
Want to see your large-scale sculpture idea become reality? Whether you're an established artist like Grace or tackling your first public commission, we're here to help figure out what's possible and how to make it happen. Get in touch and let's talk about your project.
Explore H. Grace Boyle's artist website here.
And follow along with her on Instagram, too!
This post is part of our Shop Talk series, where we pull back the curtain on art fabrication and installation. Want more behind-the-scenes insights? Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on new posts, projects, and what we're working on.
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