The Vista Project: Open Source Public Art Sculpture

The Vista Project, Open Source Public Art Sculpture, 2005 Steel. 36" H x 24" W x 8" D Open Public Art Project (for details, email me)
Vistas is a series of identical sculptures designed for installation in a site-specific context in multiple locations. The iconic steel window sculptures are intended to frame unconventionally beautiful scenery—views specific to the character of a place but unlikely to show up on a postcard. Examples of such sites might include a panorama of historically significant buildings, parks or gardens, a naturally occurring landmark or even an interesting shadow visible once a day. Vista windows call attention to unexpected beauty in the same way that a landscape photographer chooses where to stand and shoot. The windows are finished in brightly colored powder coat enamels to increase visibility and give them a friendly and inviting appearance. Powder coat enamels are environmentally friendly and are among the most durable finishes available for outdoor work. For safety, no glass is used. The photos below are of a prototype version that I tested out one day in Chicago. It gets the idea across a bit, I think, but I feel the piece would ultimately be more successful as a group project where sites were nominated by people who wanted to mark their favorite places. The day that I was doing the photo shoot, I'd been gone from Chicago long enough that some of the places I would have marked had changed and others had slipped my recollection… So I was wandering about trying to find examples of the kind of neglected beauty I had in mind, rather than calling attention to spots I knew were there. More information on the project is available on the studio blog: Vista Project Details/Design Specs.
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Tags: art, culture, design, metal, outdoor, pop culture, public art, sculpture