Type Indiana limestone Created 2004 Year 2004 | Artist Robert Stackhouse Owner Indianapolis Art Center | |
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Location Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Similar Empire Towers, Restful Place, Sometimes I Sits, Circle, Twisted House | ||
Confluence of blue 44th waterfowl festival s signature sculpture
Confluence is a land art sculpture by artists Robert Stackhouse and Carol Mickett. The work sits on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Confluence was installed as part of the Art Center's ARTSPARK initiative.
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Description
Confluence consists of 100 tons of Indiana limestone cascading in height in a 70-foot boat-like shape. The second part of the artwork lies along the White River, further into the ARTSPARK. Words are chiseled into the vertical stones with one statement reading "My soul has grown deep like the rivers."
Creation
Stackhouse and Mickett created the piece in residency at the Art Center during the summer of 2004. The installation utilized motorized chisels, gas-powered saws and hammers to create the columns. Stackhouse oversaw the work on the vertical stones and Mickett handled the arranging of the bases. Visitors to the Art Center were encouraged to participate by being allowed to don goggles, dust masks and gloves to contribute to the creation process. This unique opportunity to participate in the creation process was described by Art Center vice president and programming director David Thomas as being "...such a great chance to connect with people in a meaningful way, to see how an artist like this thinks and works".
Acquisition
This piece was the first installation acquired for the Art Center's ARTSPARK which, designed by Michael Graves, brings together art and nature. The artwork was a gift from Michael and Mary Ann Browning.
Information
The mission of the Indianapolis Art Center is to engage, enlighten, and inspire our community by providing interactive art education, outreach to underserved audiences, support of artists, and exposure to the visual arts. - Indianapolis Art Center Mission Statement
Stackhouse and Mickett aimed to create an artwork that integrated "the center's mission, to make it part of its place." Confluence also seeks to represent journeying, unity and the Art Center's relationship and placement on with the White River. The words chiseled into the stones tell stories of these subjects with some being inspired by Langston Hughes' poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."