GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Artist Michael Quandt entered his piece, "What's Not Cool About A Dragon?" in ArtPrize 2.0 featuring a dragon that breathes real fire.
His 3D welded dragon sculpture made from mild steel and ash wood with electric LED lighting and propane programmable pyrotechnics is fashioned with over 1,000 individually hand-crafted scales.
Quandt's father owned a fabrication shop and taught him how to weld, leading him to spend his free time repairing and upgrading motorcycles, cars and go-carts growing up. He went on to pursue his undergraduate degree in metallurgy and work blue-collar jobs in steel and welding fields.
Now that he's retired, Quandt has enjoyed spending his time using his talents in a creative way.
ArtPrize 2.0 is Quandt's first ArtPrize and he said his children were the ones who not only told him he should enter, but also to make sure his dragon included a fiery surprise.
Quandt has always been drawn to using fire for "the power of this thrill to draw the viewer in and demonstrate the contradiction between release and restraint."
He said he worked to include a timer on the piece so the fire would come out of the dragon's mouth at dusk.
"It's funny because I've had people give me applause and everything else and stuff for it and it's nice just to see people enjoy themselves and everything," Quandt said.
You can find his fearsome dragon at the Monroe North Business Association at Sixth Street Park.
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