Proposal for a temporary sculpture installation at
Central Oregon Community College
Central Oregon Community College
Title: Wind in the Trees
Medium: Clear packaging wrap, 18 inches wide
Approximate dimensions: 360 ft wide, 270 ft long, 20 ft high
Installation date: To be completed prior to the beginning of Fall Term 2011.
Removal date: TBD (see Description below), or the weekend prior to Fall Term Finals.
Description of the installation:
I would be creating an outline that, if viewed from above, would look like a stylized bird. This outline would be formed by stretching clear packing wrap between trees in the upper campus / quad area. The height of the wrap will vary from near ground level to around 15 feet high, and would not impede traffic on any of the walkways. It will be anchored at its ends to thin slats of wood painted to match the color of the trees, and which would be secured to the trees using a cord to match the tree color as well. Mid-points will be anchored by partially or completely wrapping around trees. No permanent anchors would be used, and care would be taken so as not to damage any of the trees or bushes. The wrap would form a perceived barrier to symbolize the barriers to success that students may be feeling as they begin the new school year. Over time these barriers break down as the students become more comfortable with their new classes, new life challenges, etc., and so would be the case with this installation. The wrap would be left in place until it deteriorates into separate sections, no longer creating any sort of either real or perceived barrier; or if it is still intact by the end of Dead Week it will be removed over the weekend before Finals Week of Fall term.
Statement:
A mental blockade
Hardly visible.
The autumn wind blows freely.
Hardly visible.
The autumn wind blows freely.
The idea for this installation was first sparked after having a Drawing I class draw “the wind in the trees” as part of an expressive drawing session. I began to ask myself how I would represent “the wind in the trees” as a sculpture. This question led to the idea of stringing survey ribbon high in the trees so that the wind would blow it out in big loops, creating various shapes against the sky. At the same time I had also been thinking about the concept of barriers, both real and perceived, and of creating a sculpture that explored this idea. I was looking at the dry-stacked stone wall between Redmond and Bend and getting ideas from that, as well as playing with ideas of a meandering fence made of pallets arranged on edge that would appear to sway back and forth, solid but flexible. And then both ideas came together, resulting in this creation. A solid, but flexible obstacle made of a transparent material so that it is not always clearly visible. It is arranged to have a visual interest as it slices through the trees, but it is also placed so as to possibly be an obstacle, or be perceived as a barrier. It will be left in place until it is done playing in the wind.
TRASHFORMATIONS 2011
Fukushima Garden
I tend to make art that has to do with the human condition and how humans interact with nature. The “garden art” theme for this year’s Trashformations was a difficult one for me because I did not want to make something flowery or whimsical. Then when I saw the selection of wood at Pak-It I decided to go with a design inspired by the images from Japan in the days following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami and influenced by the work of Joel Shapiro. As the media moves on to new headline news this sculpture will hopefully remind us of the devastation of the tsunami and the following nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. I will leave the viewer to come to any further conclusions of what they see in this piece, or what meaning they may take from it.
Trashformations is two days of creating using anything you can find at Pack-it Liquidators. This year's theme was garden art. Artists bring their tools and fasteners (screws, bolts, welders, rivets, etc.) and see what they can create out of all the junk / treasures to be found at Pack-it. The art will be on display through May 8th at the Old Mill, with an artist reception at the First Friday Artwalk on May 6th.
