Full Circle For Central Park West, City of St Louis Park
Central Park West St. Louis Park, MN 2018
Aluminum, Ipe wood, sculpted jade glass, fiber optic light 23' x 23' x 19'
Full Circle serves as aglowing community focal point and is a dynamic combination of concentric aluminum rings, skinned with Ipe wood, openly woven around a central sphere composed of stacked aluminum plate, sculpted glass, and fiber optic lighting. Rising from its reflective and illuminated pool basin, the sculpture was designed to mirror materials of the surrounding redevelopment and balance existing aesthetics. Full Circle is encircled by four Ipe clad benches that display poetry related to the four seasons. Community input for the poetry was gathered by a Community Poet at an engagement workshop.
The internal and external relationships of the interrelated spheres are in constant fluctuation as each layer of material is alternately concealed or revealed based on one’s vantage point. In close proximity to the sculpture, the central sphere appears only as gleaming aluminum layers. As one moves away from the sculpture, the stacked aluminum begins to expose a central illuminated glass orb. This shift in visual presence from near to far illustrates the diversity of individual reactions to the space. The dynamic juxtaposition of materials and forms allows viewers to contemplate the relationships between the internal and external - a shift visual presence from near to far illustrates the relationships between the internal and the external forms creates a distinct optical dialect for each viewer. The artist had reflected on the similarity of structure that occurs in nature from the smallest building block of the Atom he construction of galaxies that make up the universe.
The durable materials of Full Circle require little maintenance and seamlessly transition from one season to the next, remaining visually intriguing regardless of the time of year. In spring, summer and fall, the fiber optic lights and reflective steel intermingle harmoniously with the colors of the ever-changing foliage. In winter, the vibrant colors of the lights breathe life into the monotonous white landscape and continue to engage the viewer.
