Client: Anonymous

Location: West Des Moines, IA, United States

Completion date: 2011

Project Team

Artist

Judy Collins

J. Gorsuch Collins Architectural Glass

Artist

Heather Collins

Heather Collins Still + Motion Photography

Overview

The larger of two glass aerial sculptures is comprised of 175 panels of custom photographic images by Heather Collins laminated in glass. The second piece, unique but related in theme and color has 56 pieces. The imagery depicts aspects of life and the natural world, casting color throughout the room, moving with the sun throughout the day.

Goals

This sculpture is in a very large central gathering space for this company's headquarters. The goal was to create a piece that was beautiful, that would utilize the abundant natural sunlight (by casting color throughout the room), and that would also engage viewers over a longer period of time. Some subject matter in the piece reveal themselves after careful study or multiple viewings and our hope was to keep the employees who see it every day engaged in the long term.

Process

This piece was created by J. Gorsuch Collins of J. Gorsuch Collins Architectural Glass. She collaborated with photographer Heather Collins on the concept of the imagery, the color, texture and layout. The collaboration certainly heightened the outcome of the work, bringing together Heather's understanding of optics and the photographic medium with Judy's design and understanding of glass.

Additional Information

Heather Collins and Travis Roe collaborated created both a timelapse video of the installation to document the extensive work required to install the sculptures, along with a portfolio piece: a video of the finished work installed. The movement of video allows the viewer to experience the layering of the glass and the way the sun moves the color cast through the room in a way that photographs cannot.