About Project
Four Point Line
2017
Scottsdale Public Art
Scottsdale, AZ
The proposed artwork brings to the fore the presence of shifting site agencies (e.g., morning light, afternoon wind, monsoon rain, cool shadow, and the like) in the form of reflections cast onto the sidewalk. As observable phenomena, these agencies are temporarily recorded in the one inch wide mirrored polished stainless steel tracing the entire length of the property line along 1st Street and El Dorado Lane.
Perception of the specular changes will vary depending on the position of the observer in relation to the artwork. Viewed from the balconies above, each resident will have a unique vantage point from which to observe the sliver of reflection recorded in the thin frame below. Due to the unique spatial position of the balconies, no two residents will have the same experience. Unlike the fixed position of the balconies, a stroll along the sidewalk will create an entirely new reading of the reflected context. As the body moves through the urban context, the displaced reflection of the underside of trees, geometries of the building facade, and clouds in the sky become indexical references to changes in movement. Consequently, the perception of movement is faster in relation to objects that are near and slow in relation to objects that are far. In addition to the perception of relative movement, the reflected context will be juxtaposed alongside the fixed surface materials of the ground plane. Determined by the boundary condition between public and private property, the purposeful positioning of the artwork collocates reflections of the sky with that of decomposed granite, concrete sidewalk, and the eventual build up of urban detritus.
Within the prosaic context of urban travel, Four Point Line attempts to engage the passerby through self discovery and awareness of perception. Similar to the studio works of the artist Maria Nordman, the subtle shifts in site agencies are temporarily recorded on the pedestrian surface of the city sidewalk. The placement of the reflection is defined by the four points that delineate the public/private boundary, which, when connected, marks the spatial threshold that is invisible to all but the codified documents of public territories determined by the government.