Landing

2005
collaboration with Ralph Helmick
dimensions: 40' h 20' w 20' d
materials: cast pewter, acrylic spheres, stainless cable
site: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Tacoma, WA
commissioned by: Port of Seattle

Hanging within the central space of the Seattle Tacoma International Airport terminal floats Landing, a sculptural meditation on nature and regional culture. Comprised of hundreds of precisely suspended cast metal elements, Landing employs a sort of three-dimensional Pointillism, wherein numerous small sculptures coalesce into large composite forms.

Four distinct groups of elements give rise to the image of a Snow Goose landing in the rain. The goose itself consists of smaller waterfowl in five different flight positions. Native Salmon comprise the reflection of the bird. Various sized acrylic spheres create the illusion of rainfall. And sculptures symbolic of Northwest culture-- ranging from coffee mugs to umbrellas-- are arrayed across the lower third of the composition.

The subject matter is simultaneously; pastoral, depicting an especially elegant moment of natural avian activity; cultural, relating to manmade activities associated with the Northwest; and philosophical, a meditation on the link between Man and Nature.

It can also be read as slyly meteorological, as the glittering transparency of the rain and water surface elements puts a positive spin on the region's reputation for precipitation.