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Description:
Irrigation standpipes have been turned into centerpieces of public
art through the efforts of members of the Maple Ash Neighborhood
Association. The first piece represents the architecture of the
immediate neighborhood with earthenware representations of windows,
doors, picket fences and a curlicue of wrought iron crowning the
top. The second project honors the watering system that allows the
neighborhood one of its most prized and prominent features: lush
vegetation. Around that 7-foot-tall standpipe is a tiny but elegant
plaza with metal strips dividing the area into graveled surfaces,
symbolizing a river surrounded by fields, which is exactly what
Tempe was many years ago. There also are stools and a bench on the
little plaza. Tiles on that pipe are imprinted with historic photos
of the area. Each project features plant and water imagery.
Funding:
A city of
Tempe Neighborhood Grant funded the projects. The Salt River project
also was a contributor and donated materials and services. Neighbors
volunteered more than 1,000 hours to plan, design, fabricate and
install the project.
Artists’ biography:
Nina Solomon holds an MFA in Sculpture from Arizona State
University. “For the past six years, in addition to my own artwork,
I have been working on public projects, many of which have involved
communities. Participatory projects are an interesting and rewarding
endeavor — helping people within a particular community reshape
their visual environment.”
Chris
Rowley lives in the Maple Ash Neighborhood. Ruben Valenzuela is a
landscape architect.
Artists’ statement:
“Figurative
sculpture is the basis of my personal work,” Solomon said. “For many
years, I’ve been exploring the relief format. I enjoy relief
sculpture for its tenuous existence between the two and three
dimensional and for its narrative possibilities that have been
exploited by many cultures to convey their societies’ ideas in
monumental ways. I like these echoes of societal propaganda that add
another, ambiguous layer to the mix. In my newest work I am
exploring the cultural echoes carried by the detritus of out
society.” |
