Sponsored by : Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Fossil Location: Lobby of Eat-N-Park office, 285 E. Waterfront Dr (2020) map ] [ directions to ]
Auction Price: $11,000
Materials:
Mixed media
Theme: Stainless steel and nostalgia of diners evoke Pittsburgh's past
 
 

DINERsaur About the Design
When considering all the many, many different possible dinosaur designs, an idea based on a play on the word "dinosaur" popped into Paul Farinacci's head — DINERsaur. He loved the idea of using this prehistoric creature to represent an old vintage diner, the kind made of lots of stainless steel. This eatery symbolizes a nostalgic look back, a piece of Americana, while its steel structure celebrates Pittsburgh and Andrew Carnegie's great history as a steel empire.

Sold!Farinacci also liked the idea of using an image of a living being to represent an inanimate object. The dehumanization and mechanization of man in the modern age of technology is an issue he deals with often in his artwork.

The creation of DINERsaur involves real and fabricated components from a diner. Four vintage red and silver stainless seats, retro red and white canopy and tableware help create the setting. The counter and stainless structure are attached to the back of the dinosaur form. The black signs listing the food offerings are from an old diner and adhered to the steel housing. The dinosaur form is painted black, white and silver, transforming it into the DINERsaur.