Like Water

Mosaics

Apr 22

8' x 80' x 4" (15 “portholes” 2-4' in diameter wrap the building), 2021

Glass Tile Mosaic, Acrylic Back, Steel Frame, Dynamic LED C++ Lighting

Rosewood Park Pool, Austin, TX

Backlit mosaic portholes of up close people swimming

Like Water is a collaborative effort between myself and Polis (Daniel Goodwin & Bruce Wilcoxon) to create something that is innovative, unique, and personal for the residents of the Rosewood neighborhood.

The concept for our collaborative community artwork engages with the playful nature of the pool and underwater recreation. It represents active members/leaders of the community with a dynamic and contemporary tone. By depicting Ray Price, music mentor and director of the Notes for Notes non-profit recording studio for young musicians, we showcase a source of inspiration and a model citizen adding to the creative fabric of our city. Arlene Youngblood, shown halfway submerged in an artistic representation, is an active community member and East Austin pool advocate who has ties with Rosewood PARD back to her father’s generation, who was on the Rosewood Park and Pool board in the 90s. She has more recently been active in the Forklift Danceworks program and still resides in the area. She was even willing to take the plunge in winter in order for us to take an amazing reference photograph!

Moving the historical park into the future, this feature mosaic will be backlit with dynamic modular light washes, illuminating the image of Ray Price from behind so the artwork is visible with an ethereal glow after dark, the first of its kind in Austin. The steel grating and entire roof overhead will also be activated by way of flood lights that gently wash through various soothing water tones and textures, making it feel as if when inside after dark you are actually underwater; not to mention activating the nightscape and complementing the roof architecture. With the “portholes” on the north and south side walls and the entire roof expanse washed with ambient light, we will tie the various elements around the structure together with the submerged theme “Like Water.”