Eternal Flame for Scott Burton

Oscar Tuazon

Working with Oscar Tuazon and Powerhouse Arts, we fabricated the cast bench elements for Eternal Flame for Scott Burton, a public commission for the New York City AIDS Memorial. Our scope included mold making, casting, finishing, and the incorporation of fragments from Scott Burton's original 1994 installation into newly cast components, creating a direct material connection between the historic work and its contemporary interpretation.

Client
Oscar Tuazon, Powerhouse Arts, and NYC AIDS Memorial

Year
2026

Currently on view through Spring 2027 at NYC AIDS Memorial at St. Vincent’s Triangle

Press

Artnet
Art Newspaper
Smithsonian Magazine


The Context

Eternal Flame for Scott Burton is a public art commission by Oscar Tuazon for the New York City AIDS Memorial, created in celebration of the Memorial's 10th anniversary. Developed in collaboration with Powerhouse Arts, the project honors artist and designer Scott Burton, whose work blurred the boundaries between sculpture, architecture, and public space.

Drawing from salvaged elements of Burton's final public artwork, originally installed on the Sheepshead Bay fishing piers in 1994 and later damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Tuazon created a new work that both preserves Burton's legacy and reimagines it for a new generation. By incorporating fragments recovered from the original installation, the project establishes a direct physical and material connection between Burton's work and its contemporary interpretation.

Working closely with Tuazon and Powerhouse Arts, our team fabricated the cast bench elements that form a central component of the installation. Our scope included pattern making, mold making, casting, finishing, and the careful incorporation of remnants from Burton's original artwork into the new castings. Through this process, material from the historic work lives on within Tuazon's reimagining, preserving Burton's legacy not only conceptually, but physically.

The rendering of Eternal Flame for Scott Burton.

Scott Burton's original installation at Sheepshead Bay, photographed in 1994 before it was damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

The remnants from Scott Burton’s original installation.

The completed project at NYC AIDS Memorial at St. Vincent’s Triangle.

Behind the Scenes

The images below document the fabrication process from start to finish, including pattern making, mold making, casting, finishing, and installation. They offer a behind-the-scenes look at the craftsmanship, collaboration, and attention to detail required to translate the design into a durable public work.

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