ON LAND BY WATER
2013
Fairview Avenue E & Eastlake Ave E
Seattle, WA
Aluminum, steel, stainless steel, paint, grasses
This artwork draws its physical form and artistic concept from the urban tension and emotional undercurrents of this place adjacent to S. Lake Union in Seattle.. The site has a strong urban expression dominated by utility poles and trolley lines, forming a visually condensed and energetic infrastructure. But, this is also a place at the water’s edge which brings to it a sublime quality of shifting light, oyster skies and misty breezes. Four of the seven masts move gently with the wind – brining the presence of boats and water to the street.
The sculptural support is created from two re-cycled utility poles that have a physical presence that easily resides within the streetscape vernacular while supporting the artist’s intention to shift perceptions and awaken viewers to a new and changing landscape. The repainted masts are also recycled from an original project for an electric trolley bus line that embedded artwork into the trolley lines that changed the feel of the hardware, and additionally responded to the various neighborhoods the line was passing through. The masts were atop utility poles along the road running south from the present site. In their current re-use, it is as if they have been swept north into this grouping.
