A recent addition to the public art on display throughout the city of Scottsdale is using the city’s canal as a part of the sculpture.
“Reflection Rising is nearly 500 feet in length, and made by Los Angelos-based artist Patrick Shearn. Shearn is known for his work at the Burning Man festival in Nevada and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Ted Simons: There are about 100 pieces of public art scattered throughout Scottsdale. SCOTTSDALE, BUT ONE RECENT INSTALLATION ALONG THE WATERFRONT IS ATTRACTING WORLDWIDE ATTENTION. PRODUCER SHANA FISCHER AND PHOTOGRAPHER ROB MCJANNET GIVE US A PEEK.
Video: Something different is blowing in the wind along the Scottsdale waterfront. And it’s bringing tourist and selfie-takers from all over the country. Reflection rising is a public art piece by Patrick shone. Patrick is known for the art work on the canal and how the pieces rising and falling in the wind.
Video: 50,000 pieces of colorful rip cord nylon tied to cables and suspended above the canal creates a sculpture some say resembles a Chinese new years dragon. Kim curry Evans says this the is largest piece he's done to date.
Video: He was interesting in doing something that spoke specifically to Arizona and the bright colors here as part of the southwest. He saw a lot of references as to regard for him, say underwater fish or wheat glowing in a field, how that shows as part of the work, being suspended in the sky. When you are out here watching the piece and the wind does blow, you get the billowy effervescent effect of what you are seeing.
Video: Installation took about a week of painstaking and careful coordination. Shurn came with his team and together with SRP and Scottsdale art, they used cherry pictures to hang the structure that spans three football fields. Getting the work to hang right presented more of a challenge than the teams expected.
Video: We realized during the course of the week, the canal, the water rises and falls depending on how much water was in the canal. Sometimes it was not just floating on the water, it was in the water. That was not the intent, so there was adjusting we had to do as a result of that. Curry said the end result is even more spectacular than anyone imagined. You couldn't help but stop and look at it. It became a selfie moment. Everyone wanted to get their picture in front of this beautiful, colorful piece. It was amazing to watch other folks.
Video: If you want your own selfie, we asked what would be the best place to stand?
Video: Right at the beginning of reflection rising.
Video: She wants you to reflect on the importance of public art.
Video: As someone working in public art now, it's important as to how it shapes place. It's the destination folks go to if they want to see or meet someone. Let's go meet at the mural. Let's meet at the public art piece. It's a part of everyone's lives, realize it or not.
Ted Simons: "REFLECTION RISING" WILL BE UP THROUGH MARCH 3RD OF NEXT YEAR. IT IS A PRE-CURSOR TO THE ANNUAL "CANAL CONVERGENCE," A four-DAY EVENT THAT SHOWCASES INTERACTIVE PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CHECK OUT SCOTTSDALE-PUBLIC-ART-DOT-ORG.
Kim Curry-Evans: Director, Scottsdale Public Art
