Dynamic Space Design

It's been about a year since my last post, but that's not to say it's been an unproductive year. I've done a couple big projects that I want to share.

I was invited to work with Jamie Michaels, Paul Arensmeyer, and Staci Imes on doing the space design for the annual Earl Lectures at the Pacific School of Religion. This year's topic was, "Our Daily Bread: Faith, Work, and the Economy." The planners for the lecture series drew inspiration from the Quaker hymn, "Not One Sparrow is Forgotten."

The lectures last three days, and so the space design team came up with a concept that would change over the course of the three days.

DAY 1

We hung giant paper quadrilaterals of words connected to the problems of economic injustice throughout the sanctuary.

(That's a hose holding up the "trickle down" sign. Other signs not shown were hung with tire chains, trucking straps, fishing line, cords, and other implements of workers.)

Above the altar was a waterfall of fabric.

DAY 2

On the second day, the fabric above the altar started to spread out horizontally. Signs which the fabric touched began to fold. Signs which the fabric engulfed, folded into origami birds.

(A close up of one of the birds.)

DAY 3

The fabric above the altar spreads out almost entirely horizontally and flows out toward the doorways. Nearly all the words of economic injustice are transformed into birds which fill the sanctuary, and lead the way out of the room.

(not all the words have been completely transformed)

A thank you to Jamie Michaels, who took the photos and organized the design team.

I hope to have a post about the other big project next week!