LIVINGSTON, NJ (July 2021) – Taking Disney’s TRON
fandom to a whole new level, New Jersey artist Dan Saland announces the
release of a hand-carved replica of the identity disc from the 1982
classic film. The one-of-a-kind sculpture is available for sale, via www.ebay.com/itm/313595711921, beginning on July 9: the 39th Anniversary of the movie’s release. Proceeds from the sale will go to code.org,
a nonprofit organization focused on increasing the participation in
Computer Science by young women and students from other underrepresented
groups.
TRON
(1982) is a sci-fi action-adventure film about a rebel video game
programmer (Jeff Bridges), who gets transported into a computer software
world, where programs interact like people and circuits are like
freeways, and losing a game can result in “deresolution.” The identity
disc is the most critical piece of the equipment for programs on the
GRID. It records everything a program does and its rings glow when in
use. Saland’s sculpture, End of Line, is modeled after TRON’s disc. It holds information that will free the system from Master Control’s tyrannical rule and order. End of Linesits atop a custom-built, light-up base. It weighs approx. 40lbs and measures 16”x14”x14”.
“I
grew up on TRON and simply love the franchise,” stated Saland about
this recent project. “I shared the experience with my son during those
long, stay-at home, early days of the pandemic. We binge-watched the
movies and the animated series on Disney+. Not only did my
reacquaintance with the stories inspire the sculpture, but it also
influenced my son’s interest in digital design and coding. This
sculpture is sure to be a prized possession for any TRON fan out there.
Also, we are supporting a great charity by helping educate tomorrow’s
computer scientists.”
To
create the sculpture, Saland began the process in August of 2019, with a
chunk of white, translucent, Italian alabaster. As if powered by the
GRID itself, the rings he sculpted radiate from carefully inlaid,
glow-in-the-dark, epoxy resin. End of Line symbolizes the moment
when reality meets the GRID: a central concept within the film. Using
nothing more than a few references from the movie, a vision for the
piece, many different hand tools (e.g. hammers, chisels, rasps...) and
bona fide imagination, Saland was able to create a genuine piece of art
that, according to him, “is one of [his] most creative sculptures as of
yet.”
Dan
Saland is an award-winning stone sculptor and licensed clinical
psychologist. What began as a mere hobby ten years ago quickly escalated
into his work being featured in exhibitions and festivals, including
the 2021 Rockland Arts Festival (for his sculptured piece called the Silverback Gorilla) and the 2019 Gaelen Gallery (for his sculptured piece called Big Red), where he won the Best in Sculpture Award.
To place a bid at the auction, please visit: www.ebay.com/itm/313595711921
