flume (final)

Located in the Oak Tree Park north end meadow bracketed by the playground and South 74^th Street, flume is a landmark environmental sculpture with possible landscaping.  Conceived as a monument to Tacoma’s historic water flume, this 6-element stonework recreates in negative space at least two different interpretations of the concept.  Through a precise alignment of the sawn faces, a v-shaped channel is apparent when the piece is viewed longitudinally.  Call this an homage to history, civilization and the spirit of progress.  The contrapuntal arrangement of individual stones offers another view from above, revealing a serpentine winding path that echoes oxbows typical to the course of a stream cut into a ravine.  Consider this a nod to the natural, wild and winding road of discovery.

The piece will be made from massive igneous river rocks sliced at precise angles to capture the proper alignment when assembled on site.  The cut surfaces and edges will be lightly honed so there are no sharp edges, but retain a natural, rustic appearance in keeping with its park surroundings.  Small engraved ‘fossils’ based on the natural history of the unique Garry Oak ecosystem will provide an opportunity for discovery and conceptual links to the surrounding environs while the flat stones offer a warm place to lounge on a sunny day. 

Though this is beyond the scope of work offered here, the entire lawn surrounding the artwork could be reconceived as a verdant meadow, filled with native plants and meandering pathways.  Depending on interest, the piece could be part of a larger indigenous landscape filled with flowering plants (blue camas, common blue-cup, Blue-eyed Mary among others).  These could complement low maintenance native flowering perennials, grasses and shrubs.