ART + ARCHITECTURE
cycle, and just like another memory it
becomes linked to the vaster memory,
in which no chronology makes sense.
Time is the substance of my work.”
Plensa often explores dualism in his
work as well, a theme on obvious
display in The Crown Fountain, as the
work is made of two 50-foot towers
of illuminated glass brick united by a
reflecting pool of ebony granite. The
opposing dynamics of the piece create
a dualistic frisson: the vertical towers
contrast with the horizontal pool, the
softness and the lightness of the spraying water play against the unyielding,
dense stone. Using more than one million light-emitting diodes, the colossal
screens randomly display the countenance of more than 1,000 Chicago
residents who “converse” with one
another across the water, just as people
historically did when at a village fountain. The screens display images of the
faces smiling, frowning, guffawing for
several minutes, and then, for the last
60 seconds of the display, they pucker
up as a spray of water pours out of
their mouths (from a spout embedded
in the brick). Thus, they are instantly
transformed into digital gargoyles,
linking them to historical fountains
such as the Trevi. The screens go black
as the images transition, and during
the respite waterfalls cascade from the
tops of the two towers until two new
Chicagoans brighten the screens.
In the dog days of summer the fountain becomes a bit of a high brow Wet
‘n’ Wild, as children splash and romp
in the water, squealing with peels of
laughter as the gargoyles spray and
the waterfalls cascade down on to the
granite. Sensory overload may develop
as one takes in the bright visuals emitted from the screens, the timbre of the
falling water, added to the visceral
sensation of being in close proximity
to others engaged in the same frenetic
experience in the sultry summer swelter. The images reflect the diverse Chicago population and so do those who
come to frolic in the joy of the piece.
In winter, the water feature is suspended
and the piece takes on a more serene,
ethereal presence, particularly on a
snowy or foggy day. The physiognomies
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