Cascade
2018
·
Greer, South Carolina
+ Project Details
Abstract
Cascade is a 75-square-foot glass mosaic created for the remodel of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in Greer, South Carolina, made from Venetian glass smalti, larger Italian glass cakes, and digitally printed ceramic elements. Three themes are highlighted: water, textiles, and technology and mobility.
Narrative
This design celebrates the past, present, and future of South Carolina and the cities of Greenville and Spartanburg, offering the viewer glimpses into the driving forces of the area’s history, culture, and economy. As the waters of the Reedy River cascade downward through the composition, the viewer is invited into three planes of reference: beginning with the recognizable form of Falls Park on the Reedy River, moving through the textile patterns and grids of technology, which echo the same dynamic movement as the waterfalls themselves.
The organizing spirit is Paul Gauguin’s great painting of 1897: D’où Venons Nous / Que Sommes Nous / Où Allons Nous
“Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?”
The gesture is one of movement and wonder. The use of vivid colors produces a joyful space from which the observant traveler is offered a foretaste of the larger Greenville-Spartanburg culture and region.
