Client: Private

Overview

Topograph, created for a financial services company in Austin, was inspired by both the local geography and the visually cyclical nature of financial markets. This installation provides changing views as the artwork is viewed from various vantage points. TopoGraph is composed of 32 individual hand-painted birch wood elements that are cantilever out from the wall to create an undulating topology that references the changes that take place both in nature and in the financial markets over time.

Goals

I wanted to create a piece that connected directly to the essential nature of the work that takes place in the office. At the same time I wanted to give a sense of place and had a desire to allude to the local landscape. Environmental concerns are important to the client and they wanted to convey that message to visitors to their office so that was a priority as well. All of these ideas converged as I researched financial graphs and it just naturally flowed; as I played with the graph lines and experimented with layering them I realized that they created a topology and it was a eureka moment. The change that happens over time is universal and the graph is a mathematical tool that tracks this change; geography is a very different record of change over time.

Process

I collaborated with the art consultant who brought me into the project to make sure that the artwork fit their needs. We communicated with the client throughout the process, keeping them updated as the work evolved. I also worked closely with an engineer on the design development and the installation team to make sure that every detail was thought through.