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| Typewriter Eraser, Scale X |
Among the items in the bin
of obsolescence, you’ll find rotary phones, cassette tapes, carbon paper,
hardbound encyclopedias, and a funny little round, rubber circle with a plastic
brush attached. Remember the typewriter
eraser? It has not been forgotten by the
famed husband/wife team of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen who created a
whimsical, 19-foot sculpture of stainless steel and fiberglass called Typewriter Eraser, Scale X for the
Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park.
Located on the waterfront north
of downtown in the Belltown neighborhood, this nine-acre park combines landscaping,
art, and a stunning view of Puget Sound and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains
to create an urban redevelopment success story. The site was previously
occupied by Union Oil of California as a transfer facility and tank farm. When
they pulled out in the 1970s, they left behind a blighted, industrial eyesore
with soil contaminated by years of oil seepage.
The idea of creating a
sculpture park in this wasteland grew out of a collaboration between the Trust
for Public Land and the Seattle Art Museum. Sufficient funds were raised to
purchase the land, clean up the contamination, and engage the New York
architectural firm of Weiss/Manfredi to transform the property into a vibrant
green space to showcase art.
The landscaping, an
important element in the design, consists of four Northwest ecosystems: Valley,
Meadows, Groves, and Shore. Each is planted with native trees (over 500),
shrubs, and wildflowers; and the entire area is connected with a 2200-foot
long, Z-shaped, pedestrian path.
Interspersed along this
path is a collection of monumental, modern sculptures designed by some of the
best-known regional, national, and international artists. Probably the most recognizable is Alexander
Calder’s bright red Eagle which
provides a perfect picture frame for Seattle’s Space
Needle. Other noted artists represented in the
collection include Mark di Suvero, Richard Serra, and Louise Bourgeios. The
twenty-plus sculptures are mostly metal and abstract including benches
mimicking eyeballs, curving monoliths in oxidized steel, and a 50-foot tall
stainless steel tree.
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| Caler's Eagle |
One unusual piece brings
together art and science. The Neukom
Vivarium consists of an 80-foot greenhouse occupied by a giant, dead
“nursery log” where viewers can observe life and decay amid the ferns, lichens,
and insects that have made the tree their home.
The park is open all year
and is free to the public. In summer months, a café serves espresso and snacks,
and the park’s amphitheater hosts a variety of special concerts and other
events.
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| Love & Loss |
