Client: Alachua County Property Appraiser

Overview

Alachua Branch follows the path of the Santa Fe River, the northern boundary of Alachua County, Florida. The river form, articulated in aluminum with a brown finish, is representative of an oak branch, the symbol of the County. Acrylic panels printed with historic maps dating from the 1500's to present day are cut and layered to form foliage around the branch. The sculpture's layers- of maps, of history, of access and of ownership, reflect how we define Alachua County, a physical embodiment of the GIS features available through the Property Appraiser's office today.

Goals

This work needed to be visible to all who enter the new property appraiser's office and act as symbol for the cutting edge GIS technology that they utilize to map the progression of the county over time. They also requested it incorporate a nod to the history of the county.

Process

I initially was approached to create the commission by the property appraiser, Ed Crappo. I worked closely with Assistant Property Appraiser Colleen Keene through the design process to develop my concept with her approval. I worked with Olerich Construction to schedule installation and coordinate electrical needs prior to installation.

Additional Information

This project is representative of a large scale indoor work that utilizes both light (LED) and acrylic panels. I really enjoyed exploring the historic maps of the county and using new technology to represent them, in effect, presenting them to the public for the first time. There was something magical about taking an image produced hundred of years (the Spanish exploration maps) ago and using modern technology to show its relevance and importance today.