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ART CAN PLACE US in the path of wonder, even on a dark and dreary January day. “Union,” a large-scale, site-specific sculpture, resides in the heart of Washington Park Arboretum. The piece is the creation of Seattle-based John Grade, one of the world’s leading contemporary artists. Suspended above a popular trail, more than 6,000 blue and green cast resin pieces hang from two large nets stretched between eight sturdy conifers. Standing beneath the installation, light filters around you like a giant kaleidoscope.
While impressive in scale, “Union” sits comfortably within the woodland, its beautiful canopy dynamically tuned to the elements. On a dry, still day, the blue and green netted forms read as a continuous ceiling. On an oh-so-familiar rainy day, each slightly cupped resin form collects and sheds rainwater, creating a shifting relationship between the two forms due to the increased water weight. As wind passes through the installation, the resin pieces produce a subtle clattering sound.
Christina Owen, director of University of Washington Botanic Gardens, remarks, “More than an exhibit, [“Union”] is a year-round visitor experience that harmonizes the artistic and educational facts of nature.” Strolling through the Arboretum, visitors can’t help but stop and crane their necks when they encounter the charismatic installation.
Grade’s work around the globe is rooted in the environment. His inspiration for “Union” was sparked by examining the concentric growth rings of a fallen Western red cedar in Seattle’s Discovery Park. Grade’s monumental installations often employ a microscopic perspective and kinetic components. Those who work intimately with plants might recognize how each individual resin element of “Union” looks like a cross section of vascular cells found in wood.
Working in a Seattle warehouse, it took Grade and a team of 15 artisans more than six months to cast and finish the components of “Union.” Last fall, a crew of six installed the sculpture’s substructure, made up of thin, stainless steel cables and rings supporting the individually installed cast pieces that were attached one by one.
“Union” is beautiful, engaging and immersive, even in January. Pick up a map in the Graham Visitors Center, or follow signage along the road directing you to “Union” as you head south along Arboretum Drive toward the Magnolia Collection. A short, easy-to-access gravel pathway leads to the installation.
Washington Park Arboretum is open to the public daily, from dawn to dusk. This long-term exhibition could not have been possible without the generous financial support and collaboration of the Arboretum Foundation, a nonprofit membership organization that provides stewardship for many Arboretum programs.
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