Nepenthes (sculpture)

Last updated
Nepenthes
Nepenthes (sculpture), Portland, Oregon, 2015.jpg
One of the sculptures in 2015
Nepenthes (sculpture)
Artist Dan Corson
Year2013 (2013)
TypeSculpture
Subject Nepenthes
Dimensions5.2 m(17 ft)
Location Portland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates 45°31′28″N122°40′38″W / 45.524416°N 122.677309°W / 45.524416; -122.677309
Website dancorson.com/nepenthes

Nepenthes is a series of four sculptures by artist Dan Corson, installed in 2013 along Northwest Davis Street in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The work was inspired by the genus of carnivorous plants of the same name, known as tropical pitcher plants. The sculptures are 17 feet (5.2 m) tall and glow in the dark due to photovoltaics.

Contents

Description and history

The sculptures were inspired by the genus of carnivorous plants of the same name (Nepenthes bokorensis pictured). Nepenthes bokorensis upper.jpg
The sculptures were inspired by the genus of carnivorous plants of the same name ( Nepenthes bokorensis pictured).

Nepenthes is a series of four sculptures by Dan Corson. Located along Northwest Davis Street between Fifth and Eighth Avenues, [1] the pieces are inspired by the genus of carnivorous plants of the same name, commonly referred to as tropical pitcher plants. [2] According to Corson and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC), which maintains the sculpture series, the work and genus are named after the "magical Greek potion that eliminates sorrow and suffering". [2] [3] The agency said that Nepenthes "insert[s] a quirky expression of nature into an urban environment" and celebrates the "unique and diverse community" of Portland's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. [2] [3] Each bulbous-shaped sculpture is nearly 17 feet (5.2 m) tall and glows in the dark due to photovoltaics. [1]

The work was commissioned by TriMet's Portland Mall Project in an attempt to increase "pedestrian connectivity" between Old Town Chinatown and the Pearl District. Corson was hired by the Portland Mall Project's design team, which was led by ZGF Architects LLP. [2] [3] The Old Town/Chinatown Visions Committee was also involved in the early stages of the project. [1] Once the project evolved from a lighting project into a sculpture, [1] TriMet asked RACC to facilitate the project on behalf of the city's public art collection. [2] The project had a $300,000 budget and required several design changes. [1] RACC assembled a panel of "original stakeholders", artists and neighbors, to refine Corson's design. [2] [3] The agency worked with Portland Transportation to determine the exact placement of the pieces. [2] Some of them were reportedly placed in "awkward" locations in order to receive direct light so the solar panels could function properly, or to accommodate infrastructure beneath the sidewalk. [1] The sculptures were installed in May 2013. [2] [3]

A version of the statues has been installed in the newly developed community of Paisley, Edmonton using the molds developed for the City of Portland. The Edmonton rendering is called Nepenthes Paisleyi and contains sensors that pick up on people's movements to trigger light animations after nightfall. [4]

Reception

Nepenthes received a mixed reception. RACC has reportedly received mixed reviews from "folks who felt that [the sculptures] sort of appeared out of nowhere and were a little random in their placement." [1] One spokesperson for the agency said people directly involved with the project were happy with the final product. Willamette Week 's Richard Spear called the work an "atrocity", "garish and cheap-looking." [1] He wrote that the pieces were more appropriate for an outlet mall in Kissimmee, Florida, "come across as dumbed-down knockoffs of Chihuly glass", and "could be used as props in a high-school staging of The Little Mermaid". [1] Following installation, the owner of a gallery located next to one of the sculptures compared them to lava lamps and expressed hope that they would be run over by a truck. [1]

On the other hand, the American media company PSFK called the designs "startling", noting that as street lamps, "they are far from your typical metal and light bulb structures." [5] John Metcalfe of CityLab writes, "Portland residents have had the unexpected pleasure of walking through an alien greenhouse of huge, bizarrely colored carnivorous plants." [6] Art and Architecture refers to them as "amazing structures". [7] The online trend community blog Trend Hunter calls the work "incredibly vibrant" and "visually striking", and says it "gives 'urban jungle' a completely new meaning". [8] The architecture and design weblog Inhabitat calls them "beautiful, quirky and exotically colorful." [9]

The daily web magazine Designboom says of the statues, "each fiberglass sculpture glows from within at night creating an intriguing and dramatic street presence", [10] "curvaceous shadows animate the sidewalk on sunny days", [10] and the sculptures are "touchable: many people are drawn to the form or surfaces and feel compelled to stroke them as they walk by". [10] Kristi in Arts, a Portland public art blog, noting that, "The goal is for the sculptures to create an inviting pathway leading people from the Pearl District into Old Town" [11] comments, "I wish they had installed about 10 more leading further into Northwest," [11] and then adds, "Not only do they look fantastic, but they are powered by solar and run LED lights. Nice work, Portland." [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional Arts & Culture Council</span>

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is an organization that administers arts grants in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties that also do advocacy in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It evolved from the city’s Metropolitan Arts Commission agency in the 1990s. In 1995, the Metropolitan Arts Commission became the RACC as an independent non-profit organization. It's board of director ousted the executive director Carol Tatch in November 2023 following an outside investigation.

Nepenthe is a fictional medicine for sorrow.

<i>Pod</i> (sculpture) Sculpture in Portland, Oregon

Pod is the name of a 2002 modern sculpture by American artist Pete Beeman, currently installed at Southwest 10th Avenue and West Burnside Street in downtown Portland, Oregon. The 30-foot (9.1 m) sculpture, intended to represent the "infrastructure, energy, and vibrancy of Portland," is supported by its static tripod base with a 15-foot (4.6 m) diameter. It is constructed from stainless steel, galvanized steel, bronze, titanium, lead and other materials. Pod was fabricated by Beeman and David Bermudez, and engineered by Beeman and Peterson Structural Engineers. It is considered interactive and kinetic, with a central, vertical pendulum that swings back and forth when pushed. The sculpture cost as much as $50,000 and was funded by the Portland Streetcar Project. Pod is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

<i>Animals in Pools</i> Sculpture series in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Animals in Pools is a series of fountains and bronze sculptures of Pacific Northwest animals, designed by American artist Georgia Gerber and located in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The series was installed in 1986 as part of the renovations associated with construction of the MAX Light Rail. Funded by the Downtown Merchants Local Improvement District, TriMet and the United States Department of Transportation, the sculptures were presented as gifts to the city and remain part of the collection of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

<i>Thompson Elk Fountain</i> Sculpture in Portland, Oregon

Thompson Elk Fountain, also known as the David P. Thompson Fountain, David P. Thompson Monument, Elk Fountain, the Thompson Elk, or simply Elk, was a historic fountain and bronze sculpture by American artist Roland Hinton Perry. The fountain with its statue was donated to the city of Portland, Oregon, United States, in 1900 for display in Downtown Portland's Plaza Blocks. It was owned by the City of Portland.

<i>Ghost Ship</i> (sculpture) Sculpture in Portland, Oregon

Ghost Ship is an outdoor 2001 sculpture by James Harrison and Rigga, a group of local artists, located along the Eastbank Esplanade in Portland, Oregon. It is made of copper, stainless steel, art glass, and two lamps. It is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

<i>Talos No. 2</i> Sculpture in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Talos No. 2 is an outdoor 1959–1977 bronze sculpture created by the American artist James Lee Hansen. It is located in the Transit Mall of downtown Portland, Oregon, in the United States.

<i>Drivers Seat</i> (sculpture) Sculpture in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Driver's Seat is a 1994 galvanized steel sculpture by Don Merkt, installed along the Transit Mall in Portland, Oregon's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, in the United States. The artwork was funded by the City of Portland's Percent for Art program, the Portland Development Commission, and TriMet, and remains part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Vera Katz</span> Statue in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Vera Katz, also known as Mayor, Vera Katz, is an outdoor bronze sculpture depicting Vera Katz created by American artist Bill Bane. Unveiled in 2006, it is located along the Eastbank Esplanade in Portland, Oregon. Katz, a former mayor of the city between 1993 and 2005, supported arts and culture during her tenure and established Oregon's Percent for Art program. She was also instrumental in developing the Eastbank Esplanade, which is named after her. The sculpture has received a mostly positive reception and has inspired people to adorn it with clothing, flowers and makeup.

<i>City Reflections</i> Sculpture in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

City Reflections is an outdoor 2009 bronze sculpture by Patti Warashina, located in downtown Portland, Oregon.

<i>Chinatown Gateway</i> Paifang and sculpture in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Chinatown Gateway is an outdoor paifang and sculpture which serves as an entrance to Portland, Oregon's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, in the United States. The gate was proposed by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in 1984. Architect Yu Tang Wang and artist Sun Chau completed the gate's design, which was built by Ting Hwa Architects in Taiwan. It was then shipped to Portland and installed in one week before being dedicated in November 1986. It cost $256,000 and was the largest of its kind in the United States until one in Washington, D.C. was completed several months later.

Dan Corson is an artist living in Hawaii and is a former member of the Seattle Arts Commission. He works in the field of public art, creating large-scale, concept-driven works installed in urban environments including in parks, railway stations, art galleries, meditation chambers, at intersections, under freeways, and on sidewalks. His approach is a mixture of sculpture, installation, theatrical design, architecture, and landscape design. Media include metal, glass, concrete, fiberglass, gravel, LEDs, lasers, neon, solar panels, radar detectors, photo-voltaic cells, infrared cameras, motors, searchlights, and occasionally elements such as fire, water, and smoke. His work frequently incorporates cutting-edge technology in lighting, sound, and other electronic media.

<i>Leland I</i> Sculpture in Portland, Oregon

Leland I, sometimes stylized as Leland 1 or Leland #1, is an outdoor 1975 sculpture by Lee Kelly and Bonnie Bronson, installed in Portland, Oregon, United States.

<i>Streetcar Stop for Portland</i> Sculpture in Portland, Oregon

Streetcar Stop for Portland is an outdoor 2013 sculpture by Cuban American artist Jorge Pardo, located at the intersection of North Broadway and North Wiedler Street in Portland, Oregon's Lloyd District, in the United States. The fiberglass and steel structure measures 15' 9" x 33' 10" x 17' 3". According to the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which administers the work, Pardo intended it to be "best when it is dark and rainy and the interior lighting creates a warm glow that stands out like a beacon amongst its dark surroundings".

<i>Festival Lanterns</i> Sculpture in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Festival Lanterns is an outdoor 2006 art installation consisting of granite and steel sculptures by American artist Brian Goldbloom, installed in northwest Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The work is administered by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

<i>Floribunda</i> (sculpture) Sculpture in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Floribunda is an outdoor 1998 bronze sculpture by American artist Mark Calderon, installed in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which administers the work.

<i>Passage</i> (sculpture) Sculpture series in Portland, Oregon

Passage is an outdoor 2014 art installation consisting of 38 weathered steel boat sculptures by Bill Will, installed along the MAX Orange Line in the Brooklyn neighborhood of southeast Portland, Oregon, in the United States.

Silicon Forest, sometimes referred to as The Silicon Forest, is an outdoor 2003 sculpture by Brian Borrello, installed near the Interstate/Rose Quarter station in Portland, Oregon's Lloyd District, in the United States.

<i>Sonic Bloom</i> (sculpture) 2013 sculpture in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Sonic Bloom is a 2013 solar-powered sculpture by Dan Corson, installed in Seattle's Pacific Science Center, in the U.S. state of Washington. Bellamy Pailthorp wrote, "It looks a bit like something you might find in a book by Dr. Seuss: five huge sculpted sunflowers with striped green and orange stems."

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Speer, Richard (July 3, 2013). "Nepenthes and Inversion: +/–: New public art pieces inspire, infuriate". Willamette Week . Portland, Oregon. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Installation of Dan Corson's "Nepenthes" now underway". Regional Arts & Culture Council. May 9, 2013. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Hottman, Sara (May 22, 2013). "New sculptures on Northwest Davis Street part of revitalization project". The Oregonian . Portland, Oregon. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  4. ↑ Paisley open for business Archived 2015-06-17 at the Wayback Machine Edmonton Sun, July 8, 2014
  5. ↑ Gonzalez, Lea (July 2, 2013). "Carnivorous Plant Solar Lamps Glow in City Streets". PSFK. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ Metcalfe, John (July 5, 2013). "A Closer Look at Portland's Giant, Carnivorous Street Lights". Bloomberg. CityLab. Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  7. ↑ Art and Architecture: Nepenthes in Portland, Oregon, by Dan Corson Archived 2015-06-17 at the Wayback Machine Oct 20, 2014
  8. ↑ Nepenthes by Dan Corson Turns Portland into an Eco Jungle Archived 2022-02-23 at the Wayback Machine by Meghan Young, Trend Hunter, Jul 4, 2013
  9. ↑ "Dan Corson's Solar-Powered Sculptures in Portland, Oregon are Inspired by Quirky Tropical Plants, by Lidija Grozdanic, 07/04/13". 4 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2015-07-06. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
  10. 1 2 3 energy-creating nephenthes plant sculptures by dan corson Archived 2016-02-24 at the Wayback Machine designboom, Jun 29, 2013
  11. 1 2 3 Nepenthes: Solar-Powered Sculptures Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Kristi in Arts, Public Art, June 18, 2013
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.