Bats Taking Flight
Donors
As an artist, Bryant J. Stanton likes to observe nature and draw inspiration from what he sees. He is particularly drawn to patterns in nature, divine proportions, and the Fibonacci sequence. The coordinated, frantic, serpentine flight patterns of Mexican Free-Tail bats interested Stanton, as they fly out in an orchestrated swirl into the night sky.
His piece, Bats Taking Flight, plays on the wind moving the silhouetted bats about on long sinuous tubes of aluminum striking neighboring tubes, and generating ‘tinny-clanking’ sounds.
The silhouetted bats are painted with a reflective, deep-blue color, representing bats at dusk. The reflective paint picks up on ambient light, headlights of passing cars, and beams from flashlights, all bouncing off of the painted bats and reeds. The bouncing, reflected light, contrasted against the dark park surroundings, appear as illuminated bats flying about.
In creating this piece, Stanton enlisted the help of John Nickell and George Johns with Nickell Metalsmiths in Waco.
Did You Know?
- There are over 1,400 species of bats worldwide.
- Not all bats hibernate.
- Bats pollinate bananas, avocados, and mangos.
- Bats are the only true flying mammals.
- Wild bat colonies live along the Brazos River.
About the artist
Waco artist Bryant J. Stanton got his start in stained glass in the late 1970s making suncatchers. After a year, he started his own company at the age of 21 called Stanton Glass Studio. Bryant’s first commercial job came from restoring stained glass windows from a church that was damaged by a fire. Stanton’s studio has grown to become nationally recognized with works in homes, churches and businesses across Texas and the United States. Stanton has much more experience than just glass, and specializes in working with wood and metal, too. You can see several examples of his work in famous buildings. Here in Waco, you may have noticed the “Green Door” on the 8th block of Austin Avenue, and the DNA double helix sculpture in the science building at McLennan Community College.
More sculptures
Explore more animal sculptures along the river trail. Each piece brings a different story, artist, and perspective to the Waco Sculpture Zoo.
