Industry Profile: Don Macdonald - "The Installation – Part 2"

Wall 6 – Mind Games by Philomena Yeatman

Wall 7 – Wild Flowers by Valmai Pollard

Wall 8 – Muddy Tracks by Valmai Pollard

Previously we saw the delays that interrupted The Orchid Group^ team’s race against the clock to beat the heat to install the Shields Street Mosaic project. This week we feature the installation of each of the walls.

Apart from the general challenges that were common to all the walls posed by adapting two dimensional panels to the three dimensional installation, each of the images had their own separate idiosyncrasies. 

What became very evident from a creative perspective throughout the project was the role played by Creative Director Keith Murphy. Although called into the process by default he was crucial to managing the creative assets; adapting and modifying the imagery to help resolve the technical challenges all the while ensuring the expansion of the artwork looked unique (not a mirror repeat) and preserved the essence of the original works. In a more ideal world he would have been engaged from the outset guiding the imagery in close consultation with the installation team to achieve the balance of artistic integrity and technical excellence. 

The Shields Street Heart project was a significant undertaking with all of its complexities and challenges, however the one undeniable constant throughout the whole process was the installation system. LATICRETE Systems provided reliability, dependability and superior performance. 

“It was the one thing I didn’t have to think about. All the products; 254 Platinum, 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed, HYDRO BAN®, LATAPOXY® SP-100 and SPECTRALOCK® PRO Grout*, performed exceptionally well individually and as a complete system. Equally as important to using the right products is the technical support. The LATICRETE team provided me with all of the essential background and technical understanding for each of the products which allowed me to execute the installation with confidence knowing I was using the very best products and industry best practice with our methodology.” said Don. 

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Contact us on 1800 331 012 for technical support, arrange a demo, free samples, a trade event, or to discuss your next project or contact us here.

^The Orchid Group is also known as Symmetry Mosaics.
*United States Invention Patent No.: 6881768 (and other Patents)