In 2002 I was commissioned to create a sculpture which would act as a showcase for an art exhibit sponsored by the American Association of University Women. This exhibit would be located at the Stewart Library on the campus of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. As with everything in Utah in 2002, this exhibit was part of the Winter Olympic Games celebration.
The purpose of my commission was to create a work of art that would draw visitors to view the entire exhibit -- which, by the way, was wonderful. I am proud to have been associated with so many fine women artists. In regards to the Winter Games, we were certain to have visitors from other states and other countries, so I wanted to create a work of art which would somehow showcase Utah. Finally, the site being the atrium of a library, I wanted to create a work which would be safe, viewer friendly, clearly visible to hundreds of daily visitors, and not interfering with the day-to-day operation of the library.
Creating a site-specific work of art is one of my favorite things to do. I made several trips to Ogden to visit the Stewart Library just to get a sense of the space and it's regular traffic patterns. The atrium where the sculpture was to reside normally held informal seating -- upholstered chairs, end tables, etc., and was located adjacent the main entrance of the library. The 2.5 story atrium was lit by a sky light. The basic colors of the area were soft white walls and honey-colored woods.
My solution to this commission was a mobile which hung from the roof bracing under the sky-light. I created five 6'-8' representations of petroglyph figures (rock art) found throughout Utah. First created by prehistoric Native American cultures that thrived in the region we now call Utah, the designs were ideal to be re-interpreted into this new work of art. To fit the space, the mobile was 25' from side to side and 17' from top to bottom. For both form and function, I created the figures from paper with highlights in copper and glass--all materials which were made even more beautiful by the natural light. The finished mobile moved silently with the air currents. It was mesmerizing and so relaxing to watch the figures drift and rotate. It could be viewed from underneath or "eye-to-eye" from the second floor. I titled the sculpture "the whisperers" -- appropriate for a library setting, and appropriate because the cultures that created the original petroglyphs are long gone, but their artwork remains, whispering about a way of life that will never come again.
My solution to this commission was a mobile which hung from the roof bracing under the sky-light. I created five 6'-8' representations of petroglyph figures (rock art) found throughout Utah. First created by prehistoric Native American cultures that thrived in the region we now call Utah, the designs were ideal to be re-interpreted into this new work of art. To fit the space, the mobile was 25' from side to side and 17' from top to bottom. For both form and function, I created the figures from paper with highlights in copper and glass--all materials which were made even more beautiful by the natural light. The finished mobile moved silently with the air currents. It was mesmerizing and so relaxing to watch the figures drift and rotate. It could be viewed from underneath or "eye-to-eye" from the second floor. I titled the sculpture "the whisperers" -- appropriate for a library setting, and appropriate because the cultures that created the original petroglyphs are long gone, but their artwork remains, whispering about a way of life that will never come again.
