LoveLocks

2023, steel and granite, 12'-0" X 10'-0" X 4'-0" ft, 3,000 lbs.

Public Art Commission: New Bedford, Massachusetts
A permanent public sculpture titled "LoveLocks" by Keith Francis, standing 12 feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs. The central form is a monumental matte black steel whale fluke that curves upward to create a negative space heart in the center. The sculpture is anchored to a base of two jagged, 1,000-pound granite foundation stones salvaged from the historic 1862 Wamsutta Mill. A large-scale tan rope fishing net is suspended from the fluke and draped toward the base, representing New Bedford’s maritime heritage. Dozens of small, heart-shaped padlocks in various colors (red, blue, pink, and yellow) are attached to the netting. The sculpture is installed in a public brick plaza with residential buildings and trees in the background. The work serves as a synthesis of the city's industrial and oceanic identity.
A permanent public sculpture titled "LoveLocks" by Keith Francis, standing 12 feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs. The central form is a monumental matte black steel whale fluke that curves upward to create a negative space heart in the center. The sculpture is anchored to a base of two jagged, 1,000-pound granite foundation stones salvaged from the historic 1862 Wamsutta Mill. A large-scale tan rope fishing net is suspended from the fluke and draped toward the base, representing New Bedford’s maritime heritage. Dozens of small, heart-shaped padlocks in various colors (red, blue, pink, and yellow) are attached to the netting. The sculpture is installed in a public brick plaza with residential buildings and trees in the background. The work serves as a synthesis of the city's industrial and oceanic identity.
A permanent public sculpture titled "LoveLocks" by Keith Francis, standing 12 feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs. The central form is a monumental matte black steel whale fluke that curves upward to create a negative space heart in the center. The sculpture is anchored to a base of two jagged, 1,000-pound granite foundation stones salvaged from the historic 1862 Wamsutta Mill. A large-scale tan rope fishing net is suspended from the fluke and draped toward the base, representing New Bedford’s maritime heritage. Dozens of small, heart-shaped padlocks in various colors (red, blue, pink, and yellow) are attached to the netting. The sculpture is installed in a public brick plaza with residential buildings and trees in the background. The work serves as a synthesis of the city's industrial and oceanic identity.
A permanent public sculpture titled "LoveLocks" by Keith Francis, standing 12 feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs. The central form is a monumental matte black steel whale fluke that curves upward to create a negative space heart in the center. The sculpture is anchored to a base of two jagged, 1,000-pound granite foundation stones salvaged from the historic 1862 Wamsutta Mill. A large-scale tan rope fishing net is suspended from the fluke and draped toward the base, representing New Bedford’s maritime heritage. Dozens of small, heart-shaped padlocks in various colors (red, blue, pink, and yellow) are attached to the netting. The sculpture is installed in a public brick plaza with residential buildings and trees in the background. The work serves as a synthesis of the city's industrial and oceanic identity.

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