ORDER WITHIN THE CHAOS

Inspired by Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, Frank Stella's The Town-Ho's Story is a monumental composition of twisted metal, industrial fragments and intersecting forms.

Standing 22 feet tall and weighing approximately 13,000 pounds, the sculpture presented an extraordinary challenge: translating Stella's dense, asymmetrical composition into a structurally sound, freestanding work.

Miles & Generalis Studios contributed their expertise in monumental enlargement, heavy fabrication and structural engineering to the realization of Stella's ambitious design.

Working with Stella, Tom Miles, Alex Generalis and their fabrication team navigated the complex relationships between projecting forms, substantial weight and structural stability while preserving the raw energy of the artist's original composition.

Commissioned through the U.S. General Services Administration's Art in Architecture Program, the completed sculpture was installed in 1993 at the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building in Chicago, Illinois.

Artist: Frank Stella
Work: The Town-Ho's Story, 1993
Commission: U.S. General Services Administration, Art in Architecture Program
Dimensions: 22 feet high
Weight: Approximately 13,000 pounds
Miles & Generalis: Monumental Enlargement & Fabrication
Principals: Tom Miles & Alex Generalis
Permanent Location: Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building, Chicago, Illinois