Client: Oregon State Hospital
Location: Salem, OR, United States
Completion date: 2012
Artwork budget: $120,000
Project Team
Artist
Meagan Atiyeh
Oregon Arts Commission
Client
Oregon State Hospital
Architect
Joann Le ad David Horsley
DAO Architects
Industry Resource
Brett Binford
Mudshark Studios
Industry Resource
Robert Lewis
Fashionbuddha Studio
Artist
Anne Greenwood
Other
Margaret Kerndt
Industry Resource
Todd Littlehales
Sterling Steel Company, Inc.
Overview
I Hope…I Dream…I Wonder… was a public art project created in collaboration with the Oregon State Hospital(OSH) patients/consumers. Situated in the lobby of the new Oregon State Hospital, the multi-media installation created a gentle dreamscape in the small entrance alcove measuring 9’H x 8’W x 11’D. The artwork was supported by a steel honeycomb structure, with polyurethane pentagon boxes and video monitors. The boxes were lit with LED lights that responded to the presence of viewers, either pulsing gently or illuminating the origami/paper sculptures inside. The installation became a living repository for artwork created collaboratively with OSH patients.
Goals
As part of the Oregon State Hospital Replacement Project, the commission was mandated to include patient/consumer participation in the creation of the artwork. Working with a team of artists and hospital therapists, we successfully involved the patient community as significant partners in the making of the work. The artist-team conducted workshops in origami folding, body movement and shadow plays, and painting/drawing on digital tablets. Through these workshops, the participants expressed their idea and creativity through art and play. The materials collected from the workshops in turn influenced the evolution of the artwork. The illuminated amber-color boxes became containers for the paper origami/sculptures created by the participants. Nestled among the amber boxes and the honeycomb structure were three video monitors, depicting the body movement and shadow plays, and painting/drawing gestures of the participants, and composite portraits of the patients/consumers created by combining individuals’ shadows with their drawing/painting gestures, and fabric patterns that symbolize individual personalities.
Process
Besides working with the OSH patients/consumers, we also collaborated with DAO Architects in designing the honeycomb structure that fitted into the small alcove space; with FashionBuddha Studio to create the interactive LED lighting; and with Mudshark Studios in casting the amber color polyurethane pentagon boxes. Honeycomb structure fabricated by Todd Littlehales. Video captured by Courtney Frisse, and portrait composites created by Horatio Hung-Yan Law and Kelly Raine. The artist-team worked closely with the OSH occupational and art therapy staffs: Pat Fording, Jamie Waters and Linda Morgan, to create the workshops. Members of the artist-team were Horatio Hung-Yan Law, Courtney Frisse, Anne Greenwood, Sandy Sampson and Margaret Kerndt.
Additional Information
A sampling of the video content on the three monitors can be accessed through the Vimeo links below: OSH_Consumer/Patient_Portraits-- https://vimeo.com/96606333 OSH_Consumer/Patient_Shadow_Plays-- https://vimeo.com/96853512 OSH_Consumer/Patient_Gesture_Drawing-- https://vimeo.com/96833019