"Spencer Finch is best known for ethereal installations that visualize his experience of natural phenomena. His investigations into the nature of light, color, memory and perception manifest in watercolors, drawings, video and photographs. Compelled by what he describes as ‘the impossible desire to see oneself seeing’, Finch holds up an enchanting prism between the outer world and inner thought. He distills his observations of the world into glowing abstract color but also diverts them through cultural and historical filters." (Artist biography courtesy of Lisson Gallery)
Listen to Spencer talk about being inspired by Claude Monet's artwork and efforts to capture fleeting moments
Listen to Spencer talk about canopies as natural and architectural phenomena
Selection of recent artworks from Spencer Finch
First transit stations to receive art
The following transit stations are expected to be completed in spring 2021:
- South Greenbrier Street, eastbound and westbound
- South Columbus Street, eastbound
- South Dinwiddie Street, westbound
- South Four Mile Run Drive, eastbound
- South Buchanan Street, westbound
- South Oakland Street, westbound
- South Glebe Road, westbound
Spencer Finch often draws inspiration from colors and moments in time. During the winter of 2020/2021, members of the public helped him get to know Columbia Pike and the community by sharing a memory and a color they associate with Columbia Pike.
The colors and memories shared through this engagement will influence the final artwork. Check out the memories shared!
Share your Columbia Pike color experiences!
Public art is a tool for placemaking, creating meaningful connections between people and places important to civic life. Using Urban Design principles, the Columbia Pike Transit Shelters will become part of our civic infrastructure and a reflection of the uniqueness of the community.
Selecting Spencer Finch was the result of an extensive effort, involving representation from eleven civic associations along Columbia Pike as well as an art advisory committee and the Public Art Committee of the Arlington Commission for the Arts.
Read more about the process:
How can bus stops and public art help create good community places?
Hear about the fundamentals of urban design from Arlington County's Urban Design and Research Team.
"Connections"
Virginia-based artist Barbara Bernstein created artwork that was incorporated into the windscreens of seven Potomac Yard/Crystal City Transitway stations.
The artwork contributes comfort, sustained visual engagement, legibility and safety to the transit environment. (Completed 2016)
"Luminous Bodies"
Marking each of the four corners of the Esplanade Bridge over I-66, artist Cliff Garten's monumental sculptures create a memorable entry into Arlington County.
The structures respond to the formal stone and bronze monuments that bookend Rosslyn, lending a fresh perspective as transparent vessels filled with sunlight during the day and color changing LED light at night. (Completed 2020)
"Arlington Boulevard"
The carved patterns and laser-cut designs backlit with LED light from artist Vicki Scuri enhance the visual appeal of the bridges and retaining walls that connect Arlington Boulevard/Route 50 to the Courthouse-Clarendon neighborhoods.
Drivers and trail users traveling along Arlington Boulevard see abstract patterns flow along the concrete walls and bridges like theatrical curtains, adding drama, scale, and identity to these large sections of roadway infrastructure. (Completed 2014)
