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Description:
This transit shelter is a
surrealistic tree sculpture. The four
steel trees support and camouflage an 8 x 10-foot galvanized solid
steel canopy, which provides shade and protection from rain and sun.
The welded steel limbs and copper powder-coated leaves extend beyond
the canopy creating filtered shade to form a larger canopy. The
roots around the base of each tree provide seating by supporting wire mesh seats. Tempe’s goal
with its Artist Designed Transit Shelters is to encourage
people to use the public transportation by making it attractive,
innovative and functional.
Funding:
The project was funded through city of Tempe Capital Improvement
Project Percent for Art funds with additional funding from the
Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Federal Transit
Administration.
Artist biography:
Joe
Tyler received his BS degree in Horticulture from Arizona State
University. He earned his Masters of Environmental Horticulture at
ASU in 1974. Tyler’s works can be seen all over Arizona as well as
in Germany, Japan, California, New Mexico, Texas and Nevada. Tyler
has received many awards and has held several professional positions
in the field of horticulture. He has created public art for the
cities of Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tucson and Yuma and art for
major business corporations.
Artist statement:
This sculpture was planned with shade as the integral part of the
shelter. The botanical theme gives the structure a cool soft feeling
with the powder coated copper foliage. My goal was to create more
than a pleasing transit shelter, but to also give the neighborhood
and the city a sculpture they would take pride in. The title, "Come
Together," was chosen because the thought was that this shelter
would serve as a place where students from high schools, residents
from the surrounding neighborhood and other transit customers would
come together, as the surreal limbs and foliage do in forming the
sculpted canopy for the shelter. |
