flow

Conceived as a material dialog in naturalistic form, thematic color and narrative streams, flow is a multi-media environmental artwork for Oak Tree Park and Water Flume Line Trail.  Creating multiple esthetic elements that range from iconic landmarks to small moments, the overall intent is to weave a story about daily journeys we share with our fellow inhabitants.  The conceptual core of the project is the infrastructural idea that water is the source of life in its many forms on our small blue planet.  

What I’d like to establish today is a sort of call-and-response to several project ideas developed over the past few months, eliciting feedback and shaping priorities for moving forward.  Currently, there are seven (7) project ideas that I would like to review:

1)     bio boulders

2)     boulder bike racks

3)     flume

4)     blue tree

5)     pump house murals

6)     blue bird boxes
7)   babbling benches

In developing this list, consideration has been given to such things as visibility, functionality, community engagement, value and durability.  There is also a balance to be struck between permanence and ephemerality, iconography and narrative, cultural commentary and environmental activism.  The summative experience is a wandering through meaning and landscape, drawing park and trail users into a cognitive and physical dialogue with the South Tacoma neighborhoods they traverse.