Confluence of Time and Place 2012

Casper, Wyoming

Stainless Steel, Stainless Steel Mesh, 6,800 lbs of recycled glass, white marble rock, cast reinforced concrete, LED floodlights

Article from the Casper Star Tribune about Confluence of Time and Place

Radio interview and images from K2 Wyoming Radio

The vision of this public art piece is inspired by the historical periods of this region.   All along the way life has left its’ mark on the rugged rocky terrain of the area in the form of bones, fossils, word and image carvings of indigenous people and pioneers.  Today we mark the land by utilizing its’ rich natural resources to fuel our communities including new alternative sources such as solar and wind energy.  Today is just one small point on a continuum of millions of years of existence.

It is this continuum of time that creates a confluence intersecting geology with the existence of life.  As human beings we are use to placing time into a microcosmic context of years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds.  When we talk about the geology of the earth we are talking about a macrocosm of 4.6 billion years.  It is almost unfathomable to comprehend the true reality of that span of time.  

This public art installation is a way to symbolically connect these two paradigms of time.  This structure is designed to broadcast with its shadow the time of day specifically for the exact latitude and longitude of Casper.  In essence, this point on earth directly makes a connection with the sun at the center of our universe.  At the same time, various graphically rendered spots surrounding the installation reveal the totality of our earth’s geological history and the existence of life since the beginning of our planet.

This sundial sculpture utilizes the wind that is such a trademark of the area.  Like the marks left by a variety of prehistoric animals, humans and other life forms throughout history, the wind has also helped carved the rock formations that make up the landscape of Wyoming today and into the future.  Symbolically, the entire community is united by the feel and touch of the wind on a daily basis, just as the sundial form connects the Casper community directly to the sun millions of miles away.  The mountain-like structure filled with layers of clear recycled glass chunks reflects the rich history of this region’s geology and prehistoric life. The installation in many ways serves as a phoenix rising up out of the earth symbolizing the cycles of erosion and the sustainable revitalization of Casper. 

This project was made possible by a Collaboration between the Wyoming Community Development Authority,

Nicolaysen Art Museum, The City of Casper and Grimshaw Investments, LLC