Seattle Monolith
Encyclopedia
On New Year's Day
2001, a replica of the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey appeared on Kite Hill in Seattle's Magnuson Park
. The Seattle Monolith was a guerrilla art installation by a group of Seattle artists calling themselves “Some People”.
It was constructed of 16 Gauge steel and L-beams. Rebar
protruded from the bottom to attach the Monolith to its foundation. Estimates on the weight ranged from 350 lbs to 500 lbs. The foundation consisted of 4 steel tubes connected by rebar. The foundation was buried in the ground and embedded in concrete
.
When the Monolith was erected, quick set epoxy
was poured into the tubes and the rebar on the bottom of the Monolith was inserted into the tubes.
on Broadway, a private screening of “2001 A Space Odyssey” and a benefit concert held at The Speak Easy Café in Belltown.
came forward as a spokesperson for Monolith announcing a group of artists named "Some People" were responsible for the art. Schaber later had a duplicate of the Monolith made for himself and in April, 2001, ran for Mayor of Seattle.
No other information was known about Some People until two years later when the Seattle Times ran an article about the Monolith's journey around the city. Chris Lodwig finally admitted to reporter Tyrone Beason that he, Titus Grupp and Eric Leuschner had the initial idea for the project and that about 50 other people were involved.
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
2001, a replica of the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey appeared on Kite Hill in Seattle's Magnuson Park
Magnuson Park (Seattle)
Magnuson Park is a 350 acre park on Sand Point at Pontiac Bay, Lake Washington, in the Sand Point neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The park is the second largest in Seattle, after 534 acre Discovery Park in Magnolia. It is located on the spot of the former Naval Station Puget Sound...
. The Seattle Monolith was a guerrilla art installation by a group of Seattle artists calling themselves “Some People”.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 30, 2000 | Foundation poured. |
| December 31, 2000 | Monolith erected. |
| January 3, 2001 | Monolith taken by unknown persons and moved to Duck Island in Seattle’s Green lake Green Lake (Seattle) Green Lake is a freshwater lake in north central Seattle, Washington, USA, within Green Lake Park. The park is surrounded by the Green Lake neighborhood to the north and east, the Wallingford neighborhood to the south, the Phinney Ridge neighborhood to the west, and Woodland Park to the southwest... . |
| January 5, 2001 | Some People come forth to claim the Monolith from Duck Island. The Monolith is stored under the Fremont Bridge while plans are made to install it semi-permanently in Magnuson Park. |
| January 16, 2001 | Monolith reinstalled in Magnuson Park. |
| March 2001 | Monolith removed from the Park in time for kite Kite A kite is a tethered aircraft. The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite's wing, producing low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. This deflection also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind... season and moved to a residence in Ravenna. |
| 2002 | Monolith moved to Bed Rock Foundry in the Interbay Area. |
Construction
The Monolith was fabricated by Louie Raffloer at Seattle’s Black Dog Forge The monolith was a hollow structure measuring 1 ft X 4 ft X 9 ft.It was constructed of 16 Gauge steel and L-beams. Rebar
Rebar
A rebar , also known as reinforcing steel, reinforcement steel, rerod, or a deformed bar, is a common steel bar, and is commonly used as a tensioning device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures holding the concrete in compression...
protruded from the bottom to attach the Monolith to its foundation. Estimates on the weight ranged from 350 lbs to 500 lbs. The foundation consisted of 4 steel tubes connected by rebar. The foundation was buried in the ground and embedded in concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
.
When the Monolith was erected, quick set epoxy
Epoxy
Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives....
was poured into the tubes and the rebar on the bottom of the Monolith was inserted into the tubes.
Funding
The overall cost for constructing the Monolith was approx. $250. The majority of the money for the Monolith was raised at the “Apes Of Wrath” Mexican Wrestling Party at Rocket Science Studios on Seattle’s Westlake Ave. Additional money was raised through the sale of “I Support the Monolith” t-shirts, an unsanctioned sidewalk bake saleBake sale
A bake sale is a fundraising activity where baked goods such as doughnuts, cupcakes and cookies, sometimes along with ethnic foods, are sold. Bake sales are usually held by small, non-profit organizations, such as clubs, school groups and charitable organizations...
on Broadway, a private screening of “2001 A Space Odyssey” and a benefit concert held at The Speak Easy Café in Belltown.
Some People
Initially, the artists creating the Monolith had the idea that the public would never know where the Monolith came from or who constructed it. That changed after the Monolith was removed from the park and found on Duck Island. Artist Caleb SchaberCaleb Schaber
Caleb Schaber , born Caleb David Schaber, was an American artist and journalist best known for his participation in the Seattle Monolith project at the beginning of 2001 and his run for mayor of Seattle later that same year....
came forward as a spokesperson for Monolith announcing a group of artists named "Some People" were responsible for the art. Schaber later had a duplicate of the Monolith made for himself and in April, 2001, ran for Mayor of Seattle.
No other information was known about Some People until two years later when the Seattle Times ran an article about the Monolith's journey around the city. Chris Lodwig finally admitted to reporter Tyrone Beason that he, Titus Grupp and Eric Leuschner had the initial idea for the project and that about 50 other people were involved.