A new artwork, entitled "Grove", welcomes visitors to the Kent Municipal Courthouse, as well as acting as a
barrier between those entering and exiting, by guiding them through the metal
detector. There are two separate sheets of glass here - one with a
copper leafed image and one with aluminum leaf - they are held apart by the
steel framework.
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| "Grove".
2012 Kent Municipal Courthouse, Kent WA. Steel, sandblasted tempered
glass, copper and aluminum leaf. 3.5'-4' high, 14 feet long, 3" wide. |
This view is seen in the waiting room and by those
leaving the courthouse. I felt that bringing natural imagery into a sometimes stressful environment would be pleasing for visitors as well as those working here everyday. I worked with representatives from the City in the development of the piece. Cheryl dos Remedios was an excellent project manager.
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| Detail as seen from silver/exit side |
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| Detail from copper/entrance side. |
These details show the dimensionality resulting from sandblasting the images into the glass prior to leafing.
View of the copper side seen by those entering and by the police behind the counter. By using a translucent material like glass, I was able to bring a long artwall into a compressed space without making it feel smaller - actually opening it up with interest & depth of the materials.
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| Shadows made by the branches |
All photos above: Spike Mafford Photography
