Friday, January 20, 2012

Stones with new purpose and function.


Several years ago Northumberland County asked for submissions of designs for a sculpture installation for the front entrance way to the newly completed Headquarters Building. 

A dry stone sheepfold idea of mine incorporating large boulders was awarded the pubic commission. We used local granite fieldstone. 

A new housing development company had amassed a pile of native stones from the property they had been grading and digging on. They looked as if they had been herded up and were waiting to be shipped to a reservation somewhere. I was pleased to be able to give them a home in the new 'sedumfold' installation and thought it was appropriate that the site was close to where the stones had lived for the last couple million years. 

The finished sculpture was very well received and it has stood up quite well considering it is situated near the busy public concourse.  It does leave some people wondering what it's function is. I figure it's a good to wonder about the meaning of art and stone's function and purpose both in the landscape and landscape applications.