Fine Art Fabricator Shuts Down Amid Art Slump

After nearly 40 years of engineering and fabricating the dreams of some of the world's most well known artists, Carlson & Co is closing its doors. As with so many of the technical companies that support art and architecture, you've probably never heard of Carlson, but you probably have encountered one of Jeff Koons' balloon dogs, the Grand Staircase at the Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills, or the Helios House BP gas station at Robertson and Olympic in Los Angeles. Carlson had a hand in those works and many others. Company head Peter Carlson said the economy has caused the shutdown. He has let go his entire workforce, and expects to "file something 'akin' to bankruptcy" next week.