6-12-08: I recieved
the final approval for the project, yay! Next it's
contracts, then engineering, and finally fabrication.
Stay tuned.
3-29-08: A friend
sent me this SF Weekly article about a graffiti wall
in San Francisco: "Mission
Residents Mad About Artist Covering Up Community Wall."
3-5-08 Update: Resubmitted
to APP. They approved the project to procede. Next
week it goes to the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission
for their approval. (Update update:
The project did not make the agenda for March, so
it is scheduled for the April 14 meeting.)
2-13-08 Update:
This project is now reclassified as Radio-active
after the response from the APP (Art in Public Places)
committee meeting. Stay tuned with fingers crossed.
My proposal was chosen by the Sacramento
Metropolitan Arts Commission selection panel. There
are a few formal approvals left before the contract
is drawn up. Project is scheduled to be completed
April 2009.
Proposal Narrative:
“Authors Of Our Own
Destiny”
Writing the book of our lives and sharing our experience
with others is the theme of this sculpture. The stories
of thousands of years of recorded history are preserved
for us and presented to us in our libraries. This
sculpture celebrates that record and encourages sharing
the experience by either contributing or bearing witness
to our own stories.
The sculpture consists of a large,
blank book standing open to receive stories from the
audience. High above the book is an eye representing
the reader. Through the marks we make today, future
generations can look back and read our story and learn
from who we were. Our stories will teach and inspire
posterity. To highlight this idea, a few inspirational
quotes from people who made a lasting impression on
history, will be written on the pages of the book.
To link the monument sign to the landmark sculpture,
and the landmark to the library, a large pair of folded
reading glasses will be leaning casually against sign
in the entry plaza.
The book, mounted at ground level
and fabricated from steel, is about 10’ x 15’
x 1.5’ and rests at about a 30 degrees from
vertical against a concrete pillar with the quotes
written in raised steel letters. The 5’ - 6’
diameter eye, fabricated from steel and bronze, is
suspended ~18’ above (at it’s lowest point)
looking down on the book and is gimbaled to allow
it to blink and look around occasionally in the wind.
The book is finished with automotive epoxy with the
pages painted off white and the cover a dark, rich
red, blue, or green. The reading glasses, fabricated
from stainless steel, stand about 8’tall.
The eye is a large, bold, dynamic
presence to attract attention and provide a clear
landmark for the library. It is symbolic of knowledge,
inquiry, study, reading, exploration, and discovery.
It is playful and accessible to the broad spectrum
of people that are the audience for this sculpture.
The book is the core of the concept.
As the sculpture is sited in a high traffic area amidst
a college campus, high school, public library, and
community center, I wanted to encourage interaction
with the audience. Therefore the open book pages are
left blank to allow the public to write, draw, paint
or otherwise embellish the surface with their own
ideas, thoughts, words, images, or whatever they imagine.
Literally authoring their own stories. In a short
time the layers of graffiti will combine to give the
book a colorful abstract appearance when viewed at
a distance. The library, high school, community center,
college or other local groups can use it as a canvass
for creative projects. Being situated at a public
library associated with a high school and near a college
campus I see the sculptue not only as a forum for
visual expression but also as an opportunity to examine
concepts of art; what is art? is public art different
than private art? and free expression; what does free
speech/expression mean? is there a difference between
public and private speech.
Set a short distance from and facing
the book would be a photo stand. A simple platform
with alignment marks allowing one to take photos of
the book with a fixed composition allowing a periodic
(daily/weekly/monthly) record to be kept of the creativity
expressed in the book. These photographs could be
collected in a book, published on a website or presented
as an animated timeline.
Images of the maquette for North Natomas Library
