Art fabrication

Art fabrication is a process or service relating to the production of large or technically difficult artworks.

When a lone artist or designer is incapable or chooses not to realize the creation of his or her own design or conception, he or she may enlist the assistance of an art fabrication studio. Typically, an art fabrication studio has access to the resources, specialized machinery, and labor necessary to execute particularly complex projects.

Notable art fabricators

Lippincott, Inc., founded in 1966 by Donald Lippincott and Roxanne Everett, was the first company to devote itself exclusively to art fabrication using industrial techniques. The company encouraged a collaborative relationship between artists and the fabrication crew, allowing the creation of work using media that artists had not previously used. Lippincott, Inc. fabricated work for almost 100 artists, including Barnett Newman, Louise Nevelson, Donald Judd, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Indiana, and Ellsworth Kelly.

Other notable fabricators include:

• Mike Smith, who has worked on behalf of Damien Hirst, Rachel Whiteread, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Gavin Turk and Michael Landy.

• Ted Lawson, founder of Prototype New York, who has worked on behalf of Jeff Koons, Yoko Ono, Mariko Mori, Vanessa Beecroft, Ellen Gallagher, Keith Tyson and Ghada Amer.

• Smith of Derby Group, who have worked with Marianne Forrest and Wolfgang & Heron.

• Amaral Custom Fabrications, Inc. in Bristol, Rhode Island, whose notable clients include Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, Martin Puryear, Ryan McGinness, Robert Indiana, Jeff Koons, Philip Grausman, and Hasbro.