Heavy Metal

Last time The High Plains Reader spoke with artist Dave Sauvageau, it was in conjunction with his BFA show at NDSU. The work shown was reminiscent of vintage signage, yet instead of marking a spot, they were fueled with satire, symbolism and irony. Now, a few years later, he switches from artist to craftsman at West Fargo-based fabrication company P2 Industries.

HPR had the opportunity to chat with Sauvageau about his current work -- personal and commissioned. His work has a very street-savvy, mechanical, urban aesthetic, in which he often breathes new life into repurposed materials.

HPR: How long have you been working with metal -- and what inspired you to pursue metal work?

Dave Sauvageau: As a kid, I always loved watching shows like Motorcycle Mania and Monster Garage. I was infatuated with the idea of building something by hand, something unique, something with character and something to be proud of. I had limited resources through high school and never got the chance to try it. I began working with metal at NDSU in my sculpture classes. My instructor, David Swenson, was an amazing influence and gave me the freedom to explore metalworking in the studio. I find it really important to surround myself with craftspeople who are better than me and learn from how they work, so the Master and Apprentice approach to art school was a good fit for me. Shortly before college graduation, I started at P2 part time and I found myself learning from a serious craftsman again in a new-to-me and exciting trade.

HPR: Could you tell me a bit about P2?

DS: P2 Industries was started by Larry Larson and began operations in Fargo about 5 years ago. Currently, Larry and myself are the only full-time employees, however we do employ some part-time help as necessary. Lately, Fargo artist Mackenzie Kouba has been helping a ton during a very busy time for us. We are a very small company so Larry and I wear many hats. Larry is the owner and boss but both of us share responsibilities for client consultation, design, prototyping, material sourcing, fabrication, finishing, installation and maintenance of our products.

HPR: Boulevard Pub has been posting some of P2 Industries' handiwork. Can you tell us about a few of the pieces P2 was commissioned to make?

DS: Boulevard Pub (BLVD) is a street-themed restaurant located in West Fargo and will be loaded with eye-catching details that P2 built. Our punch list for the project was a custom manhole cover for the entryway, bicycle light fixture above the bar, fire hydrant beer tap system and back bar, main street sign, restroom partitions and a custom bottle storage rack that runs the perimeter of the bar. The manhole cover is something that we were really excited to build. A traditional cover is cast steel and can be very expensive so we came up with a clever solution to make a convincing cover. We have built a few beer tap systems in the past so we are familiar with the basics but sourcing the fire hydrants, piecing them together and making them all work together was a fun, new challenge.

HPR: What are you currently working on -- you mentioned utilizing salvaged car parts, gas cans, fire extinguishers, motorcycle and bike parts, scrap steel.Can you tell us about these and what draws you to salvaged metals--and was there a piece that started it all?

DS: Well, as for what I'm working on right now, my wife and I recently bought a home and my list of things for around the house is growing daily! It’s hard for me to just go out and buy a coffee table, lamp, fire pit, planter, etc. when I know I can build us a custom piece. Salvaged materials are a great way to start a project for me. Many artists struggle with a blank canvas, a completely open-ended idea or no motivation. When I begin with an existing part, I have a reference point. I have somewhere to start, even though the original part may not even become a part of the final product. I try to transform the piece into something else entirely and give the user something they have never seen before.

I think the piece that started it all is a simple lamp that I built for my home end table. We had a couple old steel oil buckets at the shop that were very interesting but we didn't know what we could do with them. I began riffing on the idea of them becoming a lampshade and that idea morphed into using a vintage gas can as the lampshade. I found a can and free-styled a lamp out of it using mainly scrap material we had laying around. I really like lamps because it seems like everyone needs one or needs to replace an awful one and the possibilities are endless.

I made a lamp out of a vintage metallic gold motorcycle helmet, bicycle suspension spring and parts we had in the scrap bin. The friend who supplied the helmet had helped me out in the past so I made it as a thank-you gift to him. I did a series of small luminaries for gifts that were all made out of scrap four inch square tube, each one unique to the recipient. A retired steel fire extinguisher became a bell for my grandparents’ garden. We made a shop fire-pit out of a large junk propane tank that we cut in half (scary process) and made rocket-style legs for. We used a Studebaker steering linkage, stair railing spindles and automotive Heim joints as the focal point for a desk we built for a customer.

For me, the important part is to make everything look absolutely intentional. I make every decision for a specific reason. Each part has a specific purpose and is carefully chosen and pieced together. I enjoy assembly, so making things that can be assembled and disassembled is crucial.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

@p2ind and @davemoneysign on Instagram.