Terry Tempest Williams wrote recently of a flood that she “smelled it before she heard it” and “heard it before she saw it.” Williams reminds us of water’s mighty, critical nature and our shared sensitivity to its presence.
Confluence is a collection of granite stones that choreograph water to engage the senses and invite interaction from people of all heights and abilities. The playful cluster celebrates difference through material finish and varied scales while uniting around the essential human experience of, and need for, water. Leathered outer walls darken with irregular trickles, which fall from flat honed surfaces and lush basins that reflect the changing sky. As drip lines from each figure collect in a shallow basin, their sound accumulates and beckons to passersby from gaps between the stones. The sound becomes both a calming backdrop for the Living Village and an invitation to linger and play.
The piece was realized in collaboration with sculptor Monti Ackerman, a fourth-generation granite artist based in Quincy, Massachusetts. Ackerman brought the students’ vision to life by blending rough granite stone with precise craftsmanship to refined and tactile finishes.
You must be logged in to post a comment.