Roger Hanson, a self-taught engineer and software developer, has been putting his knowledge to use building a magnificent ice sculpture for the city of Superior; but warm weather brought it tumbling down.
Now Hanson is rebuilding his creation.
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Roger And The Monolith: Photographs Of Engineered Ice
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Roger Hanson surveys his ice sculpture, which he's rebuilt after a collapse last week.
Matthew Rethaber
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Hanson's original sculpture stood 66 feet high. Its color comes from the tannic acid in Lake Superior's waters.
Matthew Rethaber
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Nightfall often brings the best conditions for ice building, so Hanson sleeps little, waking himself every hour to check and adjust the system.
Matthew Rethaber
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Hanson brushes the unwanted ice forming on a flood light.
Natalie Jablonski
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Hanson lives onsite in a trailer, where he can monitor his sculpture 24/7. He measures temperature, water pressure, and seismic activity.
Matthew Rethaber
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Surrounded by icy debris from the fallen sculpture, Hanson is slowly rebuilding it.
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Frequent spurts of water from Hanson's spray tower form icicles on cold days - ideally no warmer than 20 degrees with light winds.
Matthew Rethaber
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Matthew Rethaber
