Video: Erik Bosse
Época de Oro / Golden Age
Nine kinetic rings in clusters of three; 5' H x 8' diameter each
Phil Hardberger Park Urban Ecology Center
City of San Antonio commission
2013
The extermination of the buffalo in the late 19th century and the suppression of wildfire have made native grasslands one of the most endangered habitats in the country. In Golden Age, I used off-the-shelf side roll irrigator wheels clad in custom reflective hardware to create a flickering effect across Hardberger Park's restored savanna, alluding to the natural phenomenon of fire on a prairie. As the grassland matures, the gold rings appear to hover just above the savanna where the sun and wind bounce light off the tops of the grasses, drawing the eye and the imagination out onto the land, reflecting its beauty and encouraging viewers to consider the course of our relationship to the natural world. The title refers to the color of the work but is also somewhat ironic. The earliest attested reference to a golden age is 6th century Greek poet Hesiod's description of a good and noble era, before the invention of the arts and private property, when the earth's abundance provided for all and people lived communally and in harmony with nature.
Nine kinetic rings in clusters of three; 5' H x 8' diameter each
Phil Hardberger Park Urban Ecology Center
City of San Antonio commission
2013
The extermination of the buffalo in the late 19th century and the suppression of wildfire have made native grasslands one of the most endangered habitats in the country. In Golden Age, I used off-the-shelf side roll irrigator wheels clad in custom reflective hardware to create a flickering effect across Hardberger Park's restored savanna, alluding to the natural phenomenon of fire on a prairie. As the grassland matures, the gold rings appear to hover just above the savanna where the sun and wind bounce light off the tops of the grasses, drawing the eye and the imagination out onto the land, reflecting its beauty and encouraging viewers to consider the course of our relationship to the natural world. The title refers to the color of the work but is also somewhat ironic. The earliest attested reference to a golden age is 6th century Greek poet Hesiod's description of a good and noble era, before the invention of the arts and private property, when the earth's abundance provided for all and people lived communally and in harmony with nature.
