Client: National Park Service

Overview

The post tops suggest the idea of microphones, therefore the name Mikes in this is a project honoring the broadcasting career of Edward R. Murrow. The retrofitted Saratoga post tops produce a myriad of lighting hues. I use Murrow’s recorded voice to modulate the intensity to produce the perception of a flame. The creation of colored lighting is seamlessly integrated inside the lantern and invisible by day.

Goals

The Commission of Fine Arts, the Nation Capital Planning Commission, and the National Park Service demanded a seamless integration of the work within the context of the square and the lighting fixtures. No visible alterations would be accepted in a memorial park belonging to the Mall complex.

Process

As the leading artist, I drew the guidelines and steered the design, manufacturing and installation process to be pursued in a direction that will lead to an optimal result. I took the right decisions at the moment when they determined a successful outcome.

Additional Information

My most significant experience working in public art with architectural and engineering teams was the James Monroe Memorial Park and the Edward R. Murrow Memorial Park projects for the National Park Service in Washington, DC. Proposing and installing public art within the outer perimeter of the Mall, requires the involvement and approval of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, an independent agency responsible for guiding the design of the capital city, including renovation of historic homes and the look and scale of government buildings, museums, and memorials. After a presentation to the panel, a delegation reviewed my project and made recommendations. Next, I submitted my work to the NPS for review during which we constantly communicated with the service to answer queries and provide all the specific details of the installation. Their recommendation included the use of the existing conduits to avoid altering the original floor of Murrow park and, in the case of Monroe, the use of superficial tubes for the electrical and the hydraulics to avoid piercing the 3000 psi concrete original basin (1960) and we solved it.