Buster Simpson Signed Framed Viewland Hoffman Substation Seattle Photograph

Details

Description

Buster Simpson signed photograph, from the Viewland Hoffman Receive Substation Project 1975-1979 with Andrew Keating and Sherry Markovitz, Seattle, Washington

… Read more Buster Simpson signed photograph, from the Viewland Hoffman Receive Substation Project 1975-1979 with Andrew Keating and Sherry Markovitz, Seattle, Washington

Photo Measures 6 1/2" x 4"

Buster Simpson is a Seattle-based artist known for his public and environmental art. His work often incorporates ecological themes and urban environments.

As found: A design team of artists Andrew Keating, Sherry Markovitz and Lewis "Buster" Simpson worked with structural and landscape architects and engineers to plan the overall concept and physical layout of the Viewland/Hoffman Substation. This groundbreaking collaboration marked the first major integrated public art project of its kind and established Seattle as an international leader in the public art field. The design team's goal was to address resident concerns in the substation's design, humanizing the site with artistic elements. These visual components included twenty-seven whirligigs by Emil and Veva Gehrke, purchased and installed by the design team. Made from discarded appliance parts, hub caps, hard hats, dust pans and washing machine parts, the whirligigs spin when the wind blows through the fenced-in compound. A chain link chair and footstool by Buster Simpson provide a view of the whirligigs from outside the enclosure. A protected semi-circular pathway allows visitors to view the wind sculptures from all sides. Andrew Keating's colorful porcelain enamel steel signage talks about the art and artists and provides information on how the substation functions. A concrete wall decorated with colorful lines and arcs runs the length of the site and is described by Keating as "a backdrop interacting visually and thematically with the equipment and the whirligigs." Inlaid stones uniformly punctuate the grass surrounding the station. The lighthearted artworks take an innovative approach toward a necessary element of the cityscape. Seattle City Light 1% for Art funds


This was the first project in which artists were contracted by the percent program to participate on a design team. The artists worked collaboratively with the architects to conceptualize and design the overall project rather than create discrete artworks.

10807-33 See less