The Lovefish Tank by Dean Zeus Coleman (and How It Was Made).

The Lovefish Tank

Artist Dean ‘Zeus’ Coleman likes to create unusual fish tanks* as well as compelling 3D Graffiti sculptures and other wonderful fine art. His latest is the Lovefish, a tank made of heated and curved glass pieces that literally spell out the word LOVE.

The Lovefish Tank

LOVE fish tank

LOVE fish tank IIHIH

The Making Of The Tank:

Creating the tank required curved wood forms hand-crafted by Dean and protected with aluminum upon which heated glass was placed and secured until cooled.  After the glass cools into the proper shapes, the tank is then assembled.

The curved wood forms designed to create the letters and shapes of the fish tank:
making the tank 1

making the tank 2

Heating and bending the glass over the wood forms lined with metal:
making the tank 3

curving the glass

making the tank

The heated glass is then set between the metal-lined curved wood forms and weighted down so it conforms to the shapes while cooling:
making the tank

Once the glass has cooled into shape, the forms are then put together using a large stencil as a guide:
making the Lovefish tank

LOVE fish tank in process

LOVE fish tank 17 IIHIH

And Voila!
LOVE fish tank final without water

glass love aquarium

Now, add some water…
LOVE fish tank with water

…some fun (Dean and a friend peering into the tank):
LOVE fish tank

and some fish:
Lovefish tank detail

Lovefish tank detail

The final, finished tank:
Lovefish tank by Dean Zeus Coleman

If you didn’t see my post on his Graffiti Fish Tank (shown below) and other work, check that out here

graffiti fishtank dean zeus coleman

*Whenever I post about unusual and artful fish tanks (such as his previous Graffiti Fish Tank), aquarium afficionado’s often comment on how inadequate the tanks are (not enough room for the fish, not enough plants, no filter, etc.) Please keep in mind these are often art installations and not meant for mass production and use.

Like fish? Me too, check out these aquariums!