Stratum Pier
Encyclopedia
Stratum Pier is an interactive
overlook
by American
artist Kendall Buster. The functional sculpture
is located at the Indianapolis Museum of Art's 100 Acres: Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park.
manner along the south side of the sculpture parks lake. The artwork consists of fiberglass
grids that sit upon a support system made of steel
. The support system sits at varied heights. Visitors are welcome to walk on, sit, fish at and explore the structure, which is occasionally non-accessible due to flooding.
and growth in the 100 Acres environment, cycles that are represented in Stratum Piers layered build. Fiberglass was chosen due to its light weight allowing it to easily sit in its present location and its durability which allows for heavy use by visitors to the park. Buster started to design the piece after a visit to the park and inspiration from the topographical maps created to document the parks environment. Buster expects the work to merge with the landscape as the grass and brush that surrounds the area grows into the work.
Buster worked with architect
Jeremy Olsen of Wheeler Kearns and project engineer
Chris Rockney of Rockey Structures to create the piece. The artwork was commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art
and funded by a grant from the The Indianapolis Foundation. In June 2010 Indianapolis based Motus Dance Theatre performed one day, every 45 minutes, on Stratum Pier in response to the installation and to celebrate the opening of the park.
, then moved onto earning her BFA
at the Corcoran College of Art and Design
. After receiving her MFA from Yale University
she was involved in the Whitney Museum of American Art
's Independent Study Studio Program. Buster's work is described as "biological architecture" and resides in the collections of the Kreeger Museum
, the Kemper Museum, Hirshhorn Museum, among others. She has been commissioned to create public art for the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Markel Corporation, the BOK Center
, Nevada Museum of Art
, and many others. In 2005 Buster was awarded an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in the Arts. Teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University
, she lives and works in Richmond, Virginia
.
Interactive art
Interactive art is a form of installation-based art that involves the spectator in a way that allows the art to achieve its purpose. Some installations achieve this by letting the observer or visitor "walk" in, on, and around them; Some others ask the artist to become part of the artwork.Works of...
overlook
Overlook
A scenic overlook, or just an overlook, observation point, lookout or viewing point, is a high place where people can gather to view scenery , and to photograph it. Scenic overlooks are typically created alongside mountain roads, often as a simple turnouts where motorists can pull over onto...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist Kendall Buster. The functional sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
is located at the Indianapolis Museum of Art's 100 Acres: Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park.
Description
Based on a section of a topographical map of 100 Acres the artwork consists of emerald green layered platforms that are shaped in a flowing organicOrganic
Organic may refer to:* Of or relating to an organism, a living entity* Of or relating to an organ- Chemistry :* Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or the product of decay, or is composed of organic compound* Organic chemistry, chemistry involving...
manner along the south side of the sculpture parks lake. The artwork consists of fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
grids that sit upon a support system made of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. The support system sits at varied heights. Visitors are welcome to walk on, sit, fish at and explore the structure, which is occasionally non-accessible due to flooding.
Information
Stratum Pier was created to appear as if it is an extension of the shoreline, exhibiting artist Kendall Buster's desire to merge "the natural and the built environment." A visit to the structure allows one to view the cycles of erosionErosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
and growth in the 100 Acres environment, cycles that are represented in Stratum Piers layered build. Fiberglass was chosen due to its light weight allowing it to easily sit in its present location and its durability which allows for heavy use by visitors to the park. Buster started to design the piece after a visit to the park and inspiration from the topographical maps created to document the parks environment. Buster expects the work to merge with the landscape as the grass and brush that surrounds the area grows into the work.
Buster worked with architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Jeremy Olsen of Wheeler Kearns and project engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
Chris Rockney of Rockey Structures to create the piece. The artwork was commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is an encyclopedic art museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum, which underwent a $74 million expansion in 2005, is located on a campus on the near northwest area outside downtown Indianapolis, northwest of Crown Hill Cemetery.The...
and funded by a grant from the The Indianapolis Foundation. In June 2010 Indianapolis based Motus Dance Theatre performed one day, every 45 minutes, on Stratum Pier in response to the installation and to celebrate the opening of the park.
The artist
Before pursuing fine art, Kendall Buster obtained her degree in medical technologyMedical technology
Medical Technology encompasses a wide range of healthcare products and is used to diagnose, monitor or treat diseases or medical conditions affecting humans. Such technologies are intended to improve the quality of healthcare delivered through earlier diagnosis, less invasive treatment options and...
, then moved onto earning her BFA
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
at the Corcoran College of Art and Design
Corcoran College of Art and Design
The Corcoran College of Art and Design, , founded in 1890, is the only professional college of art and design in Washington, DC, located in the Downtown area. The school is a private institution in association with the Corcoran Gallery of Art.The Corcoran Gallery of Art is Washington's first and...
. After receiving her MFA from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
she was involved in the Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
's Independent Study Studio Program. Buster's work is described as "biological architecture" and resides in the collections of the Kreeger Museum
Kreeger Museum
The Kreeger Museum is a private museum located in Washington D.C. at the former home of David and Carmen Kreeger, and first opened in 1994. The collection features 19th and 20th century paintings and sculptures, with works by internationally known artists such as Boudin, Cézanne, Epstein,...
, the Kemper Museum, Hirshhorn Museum, among others. She has been commissioned to create public art for the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Markel Corporation, the BOK Center
BOK Center
The BOK Center, or Bank of Oklahoma Center, is a 19,100-seat multi-purpose arena and a primary indoor sports and event venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. Designed to accommodate arena football, hockey, basketball, concerts, and similar events, the facility was built at a cost of $178 million...
, Nevada Museum of Art
Nevada Museum of Art
The Nevada Museum of Art, located at 160 West Liberty Street in Reno, Nevada, is the only American Association of Museums accredited art museum in the state of Nevada. The museum is thematic, focusing on the growing interest in the protection of the land...
, and many others. In 2005 Buster was awarded an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in the Arts. Teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
, she lives and works in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
External links
- "100 Acres at the Indianapolis Museum of Art" from The Architect's NewspaperThe Architect's NewspaperThe Architect's Newspaper is an architectural newspaper covering the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast in three print editions and online....
- "100 Acres: Stratum Pier by Kendall Buster" from Visualingual
- "Art and Nature, Hand in Hand" from The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
- "One Hundred Acres of Art" from Metropolis
- Stratum Pier from the Indianapolis Museum of Art