Codes is made of glass spheres in colors reminiscent of mid-century art glass and beach glass. The delicate spheres are set into stainless steel forms to create the eastern ‘wall’ of the outdoor room forming a porous boundary that people can walk through, yet feel a sense of enclosure. The sculptures take on human qualities as they congregate in groups, almost as if they are engaged in conversation. Upon observation, distinct personalities are revealed.
Codes spells out a message as you go north to south. Some pairs of codes may appear to be roughly the same north-south distance along Flagler but whichever part is northernmost counts. Each code has a number between 1 and 26 encoded in it, and that number stands for a letter in the alphabet. Each code has a long leg and a short leg. There are small, medium, and large spheres. The number of medium spheres (of any color) in the long leg counts for 10 and the number of medium spheres (of any color) in the short leg counts as 1.
Date:
2019
Location:
Flagler Banyan Square, West Palm Beach, FL
Dimensions:
Series covers 90’ x 15’ - Individual panels vary.
Media:
stainless steel, etched glass spheres, LED lighting, electronics
Artist:
Joe O'Connell