Client: Scottsdale Public Art

Location: Scottsdale, AZ, United States

Completion date: 2015

Project Team

Artist

Grimanesa Amoros

Client

Scottsdale Public Art

Overview

As early as 300 AD, the ancient Hohokam Indians, located in northern Arizona, were one of the first cultures to rely on irrigation canals. The communities’ environmental engineering improved access to river water and changed the lives of the inhabitants.

Evolving from these ideas and inspired by the natural Arizona’s canals, GOLDEN WATERS, a large-scale temporary light sculpture installation, is mounted on the secure structures of The Soleri Bridge, located just southwest of the intersection of Scottsdale and Camelback Roads.

Goals

I was interested in how our bodies react and are defined towards a relationship to any given environmental condition. As a result, one can feel the presence of the water and nature just by standing next to it. The piece will seemingly rise from the canal waters, as they are one with the existent canal. The vertical and horizontal lines on the structure aim to express a metaphor that the dynamic balance between urban and natural forces can be experienced simultaneously. The viewers will be drawn to the work and will see the emphasis the piece has on its perspective of nature and landscape.

Process

GOLDEN WATERS is a site-specific light sculpture installation. It has to be water-resistant and stands for the high temperature in Arizona over 110 to 117 degrees. I did a lot of tests in my studio on the material I use. It also has to be securely attached to the Soleri bridge. so the detailed planning includes the structures that the LEDs are attached to, a trust system, a list of materials and equipment used in the project, and the procedure of packing and unpacking the work. The restrictions and constraints of this site are also becoming the loose and helping me to create a powerful piece.