Campus News
November 23, 2011
Experience John Grade's 'Piedmont Divide'
With the last strands of recycled plastic in place, Seattle-based environmental artist John Grade completed a two-week residency at Emory, revealing a multi-dimensional sculpture, erected on the Quad and at the lake in Lullwater Preserve.
Linda Armstrong, a senior lecturer in sculpture in the Visual Arts Department, talks about the project:
Dozens of volunteers worked with the artist to put the finishing touches on the sculptures.
Randy Fullerton, a lecturer in Theater Studies, says the experience of working in the lake, while wearing heavy waders, gave him new insight into the effects of water pressure on the human body. Fullerton talks about his participation in the "Piedmont Divide" project:
Myron McGhee, a photographer and staff member at Pitts Theology Library, says the art installation on the Quad reminds him of the mandalas created by the Tibetan monks at Emory each year during Tibet Week — especially the "meditational quality of the construction." See Grade's reaction as the finished piece catches the sunlight for the first time:
Grade's public sculptural art project, on display until March, aims to highlight important conversations between science and art and raise environmental awareness for students, the greater Atlanta community, and the Southeastern region. It's part of Emory's year-long exploration of water through creative projects.
Adapted from the Creativity: Art and Innovation blog. Videos and text by Hal Jacob.
