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Arts & Entertainment

Creative Expression Blooms in Trumbull

Loren Costantini hikes Trumbull's many trails and parks on a regular basis. He found a unique way to give thanks to the community for all its natural beauty.

If you’re a regular driver on Main Street near the Long Hill Fire Department Station No. 2, you may have noticed something different over the past couple weeks. Among the falling fall leaves and browning trees stands a giant bright red metal flower, challenging Mother Nature’s shift to winter.

Loren Costantini, an attorney who dreams of being a career artist, wanted to add a piece of his artwork to the property he rents in Trumbull, so that’s precisely what he did.

“I grew up in an artistic family,” explained Costantini.  “My mom was architect and led art therapy groups.” Costantini’s father also had an artistic eye and used that talent as a machinist.  

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Both parents passed down their artistic gifts to their children. “I’m the oldest of five and we are all very prolific with art,” he added. Costantini’s mother especially helped her children hone their artistic talents by requesting a self portrait from each child as a Christmas gift each year.

“Since I could pick up a crayon I have been doing art.”

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Originally Costantini spent his days doing architectural design, but then attended law school and has been practicing law since 1996. In fact, Costantini took a brief hiatus from being a trial attorney to run his construction company, but returned to the scales of justice after ten years.

“I love doing law, it’s intellectually stimulating,” explained the artist lawyer. “I like helping people, but really what I would like to be known for without a doubt is my art.”

The first flower that Costantini created was during a difficult time in his life when he was burdened by a great amount of suffering. He came upon a piece of scrap plywood and thought it looked like a windblown flower petal. Costantini delved into what evolved into an artistic piece titled Flower and erected the yellow petaled aluminum, steel and wooden finished product in front of his home at the time in Guilford.  From there he moved it to his law office in Milford and it was so popular that after only two short months on display was featured in Milford Living Magazine.

“I saw how it really touched everyone. It was recognized as a beautiful symbol to people.”

With there being such a warm reception to Flower, Costantini began to wonder if there may be a competition he could enter into. There was and out of eighty applicants, Flower was one of the ten sculptures chosen for the 25th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition in Boone, North Carolina where a reconstruction of the original is currently on display until 2012.

Now a Trumbull resident, Costantini wanted to bring the same positive artistic expression to town.

He erected a red version of Flower, which weighs one hundred and twenty pounds and is constructed almost identically to its yellow sibling.  

“It’s a solid steel stem and there are over three hundred and thirty parts to it,” explained Costantini.  “It’s very technical.”

The center of it, the bud, is a repurposed truck brake rotor. The very center is an aluminum diamond plate and the petals are painted sheet aluminum. What gives the gigantic botanical sculpture structure is a piece of mahogany, cut and sanded and painted. And there are bolts. Lots and lots of bolts.

Moments after Costantini put up the flower up officials from both the town Building Department and Trumbull Planning & Zoning showed up.

“I told them I’m putting up a piece of art; I didn’t think I needed a permit.” And as it turns out he doesn’t so the flower gets to stay and outlast every outdoor flower in town.

To view multiple photos of both the yellow and red Flowers visit The Power of the Flower on Facebook. He can also be reached at 203-878-5609.

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