''Stratum Pier'' is an

interactive Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term "interactivity", but m ...

overlook A scenic viewpoint – also called an observation point, viewpoint, viewing point, vista point, lookout, scenic overlook,These terms are more commonly used in North America. etc. – is an elevated location where people can view scenery (often w ...

by American artist Kendall Buster. The functional

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

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 In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but historic ...

of 100 Acres the artwork consists of

emerald green Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation or intensity) or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tin ...

layered platforms that are shaped in a flowing organic manner along the south side of the sculpture parks lake. The artwork consists of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cl ...

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. The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres

Information

''Stratum Pier'' was created to appear as if it is an extension of the

shoreline A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past ...

, 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

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is di ...

and growth in the 100 Acres environment, cycles that are represented in ''Stratum Pier''s 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 An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Jeremy Olsen of Wheeler Kearns and project

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

Chris Rockey of Rockey Structures to create the piece. The artwork was commissioned by the

Indianapolis Museum of Art The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a campus that also houses Lilly House, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres, the Gardens at Newfields, the Beer Garden, and more. It i ...

and funded by a grant from 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 technology Health technology is defined by the World Health Organization as the "application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of li ...

, then moved on to earning her BFA at the

Corcoran College of Art and Design The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design (known as the Corcoran School or CSAD) is the professional art school of the George Washington University, in Washington, DC.Peggy McGloneUniversity names first director of Corcoran School of the Arts and ...

. After receiving her MFA from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

she was involved in the

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...

's Independent Study Studio Program. Buster's work is described as " biological architecture" and resides in the collections of the

Kreeger Museum The Kreeger Museum is a modern and contemporary non-profit art museum located in Washington D.C. It is located in the former home of David Lloyd Kreeger and Carmen Kreeger and it contains the art collection they acquired from 1952 to 1988. Arch ...

, the

Kemper Museum Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1994 in Kansas City, Missouri. With a $5 million annual budget and approximately 75,000 visitors each year, it is Missouri's first and largest contemporary museum. Founders The core of the museum's per ...

Hirshhorn Museum The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was de ...

, among others. She has been commissioned to create public art for the

Walter E. Washington Convention Center The Walter E. Washington Convention Center is a convention center located in Washington, D.C., owned and operated by the city's convention arm, Events DC. Designed in a joint venture by the Atlanta-based architecture firm Thompson, Ventulett, ...

Markel Corporation Markel Corporation is a holding company for insurance, reinsurance, and investment operations around the world. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and founded in 1930, Markel reports its ongoing underwriting operations in three segments, and ...

, the

BOK Center The BOK Center, or Bank of Oklahoma Center, is a 19,199-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 even ...

Nevada Museum of Art The Nevada Museum of Art, is an art museum in Reno, Nevada. Located at 160 West Liberty Street in Reno, it is the only American Alliance of Museums (AAM) accredited art museum in the state of Nevada. The museum has chosen a thematic approach, placi ...

, 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 (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia ...

, she lives and works in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

References

External links

"100 Acres at the Indianapolis Museum of Art"
from

The Architect's Newspaper ''The Architect's Newspaper'' is an architectural publication that covers the United States in monthly printed issues and online. The paper was founded in 2003 by William Menking, editor-in-chief, and Diana Darling, publisher, to bring architects ...

"100 Acres: Stratum Pier by Kendall Buster"
from Visualingual
"Art and Nature, Hand in Hand"
from

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

"One Hundred Acres of Art"
from

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

''Stratum Pier''
from the Indianapolis Museum of Art {{IMAart Installation art works Interactive art Sculptures of the Indianapolis Museum of Art Outdoor sculptures in Indianapolis Piers in the United States 2010 sculptures Fiberglass sculptures in Indiana Topography 2010 establishments in Indiana

Description

Information

The artist

See also

References

External links