Title:  Primary -- In Flight
Artist: JP Long
Year: 2012
Media: Steel and epoxy paint

Physical Description of Work

Standing proudly outside the prestigious Lafayette Circle apartments, the striking sculpture Primary Excind (2012) captures the essence of modern city life. This dynamic piece, with its fluid lines and bold structure, serves as both a visual centerpiece and a symbol of the building’s commitment to blending art with urban living. This sculpture, standing 10 feet tall, is made of steel. The shape twists and spirals as it rises and evolves, gradually narrowing to a sharp point at the top. Most of the steel has a dark, smooth finish, but sections of the twisting surface are brightly painted in red, yellow, and blue. These vibrant colors stand out against the dark steel, creating a dynamic contrast as the sculpture reaches upward.

Artist Statement

Art is a conversation with the viewer. Balance and movement affect us, whether a sculpture is firmly rooted or precariously balanced. Form and mass contribute, making us feel dwarfed or Olympian. We feel contrasts: presence/absence, delicate/solid, bright/dark, interior/exterior. A viewer brings their own expectations and formative experiences. As an artist, I strive to pose many questions but offer few answers. In the Sculpture “In Flight” I was striving to give a sense of ascending evolution.  

Artist Biography

JP Long is a widely collected sculptor based in the San Francisco Bay Area, represented by galleries in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Sonoma, Palm Desert, and Toronto. Originally from Boston, MA, he studied jewelry and metal arts at California College of the Arts and has collaborated with renowned artist Bella Feldman for over a decade, sharing studio space in Oakland, CA.

Long’s career took off in the mid-2000s with large glass-and-steel sculptures, known for their interplay of tension and harmony. Inspired by the power of primary colors, he incorporated bold planes of color into his steel pieces, adding striking contrast. His parallel series of canvases features intricate oxidation and carbon patterns set against vibrant backgrounds, blending modernist geometry with minimalist aesthetics.

Through controlled experimentation—whether with hand-blown glass in his sculptures or unpredictable oxidation in his canvases—Long creates dynamic, electrifying compositions that explore the boundaries of form, mass, and movement.

Visit jplongart.com.