Unbuilt Public Art Proposal –
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t0XoZY_Myy0/UcMsM7XE6HI/AAAAAAAAG2Y/8SPz9ysAn1s/s400/liberty.public+art.JPG) |
Concept sketch showing abstracted US flag in the glass verticals. |
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q93Gvs6bXXA/UcMsCkXWobI/AAAAAAAAG2Q/imqUJcTeOEg/s400/washington_glass.wilson.Plaza.jpg) |
Rendering of art glass wall. |
Way back in the mists of time, (in 2005), the Washington Glass Studio developed a public artwork proposal for a park being created in a new mixed used development in Virginia. In honor of the 4th of July, the underlying themes of the project make this a suitable blog subject.
The original proposal was to create a wall of glass, with each cast glass segment combining to create an abstracted image of the USA flag.
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WW0ITLu4eBs/UcMskOU2BMI/AAAAAAAAG2g/ZjTrHJj2JxE/s400/glass.color.shift.jpg) |
Color-shifting glass was proposed – and would make the artwork different based on the light in the day or at night. |
The stripes of the abstract flag would be made up of many faces – a metaphor of “Out of many, one” (E pluribus unum).
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ri-Fe-O8Bpc/UcMtN5iYoXI/AAAAAAAAG2s/cf7qZqmOnkw/s320/cast.glass.colour_shift.JPG) |
Texture and color were to have a strong interplay in the glass |
The wall of glass separated the private parkland area from the commercial/retail area. The artwork had to define the zones, yet allow visual contact between. Lighting effects were also planned to make the most of the color-shift glass. The proposed artwork would look different from daytime to night.
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yjm-fNk0fGU/UcMvKmB-dNI/AAAAAAAAG28/DGwdByMQqnw/s400/wilson.park.glass.artwork.contemporary.usa.JPG)
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1fqCoG-U0Lw/UcMvSSF8eeI/AAAAAAAAG3E/awSyY21y8Fg/s400/american_glass.fence.JPG)
A number of design changes took place, and the project did not proceed in this form. Perhaps someday…!
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oHHEJuymwNU/UcM0lD94tCI/AAAAAAAAG3Y/rVQeL8DXHuk/s400/public.art.glass.rendering.JPG)