Blueprint, 2018
Woodbourne-Centerville Public Library, OH.
Project Overview
Acrylic, graphite, ink on hand-cut paper
In August 2018 Blueprint was permanently installed at the Washington-Centerville Public Library. The installation of this project was made possible with the assistance of LWC Architects and Martin Pleiss, Exhibition Designer/Chief Preparator at the Dayton Art Institute.
This acquisition was generously funded by the Dorothy R. Yeck Endowment for the Arts at Woodbourne Library.
Details
Abstractions throughout the piece are derived from blueprint drawings provided by LWC Architects and the original Woodie Garber blueprints that were digitized by the University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Books Library. Each paper component was printed and painted on both sides, then hand-cut with a surgical scalpel along the edges of negative spaces to form surprisingly organic shapes. At points, paint is strewn across the paper spontaneously, covering some of the straight lines and geometry of the blueprints.
“Art speaks volumes about the space in which it lives and we are excited to showcase the work of area artists in a building which is visited by more than 6,000 people each week.”
View from Below
The free-form paper sculpture is an aesthetic juxtaposition of the Modernist sensibility of the surrounding architecture, creating a compelling visual experience overhead as visitors enter the library’s atrium. The piece is first seen through floor to ceiling glass windows from the outside and then encountered head-on as it leads the eye into the large, open space in a dramatic display of calligraphic marks and intricate cut lines.
Photos courtesy of Ed Ponikwia