The place that stirred the most thought for me was the stretch of the Riverwalk that's under the highway overpass. The Riverwalk kind of weirds me out because it's well maintained, and well designed, but the Milwaukee River itself is so dirty and full of trash. I did a little research on the Riverwalk and found this passage from the city's website:
"Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine places all lakes and streams in trust for the benefit of all citizens to use for commercial navigation, pleasure boating, sailing, fishing, swimming, skating, rowing, walking, and the enjoyment of scenic beauty. . . the $11 million project . . . the Historic Third Ward RiverWalk has won several design awards since it opened, including a 2007 American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design."
As nice as it is to have a public space near the river, it seems to me that the river itself could use some cleanup.
For my intervention, I decided to make this disconnect between the River and the Walk more apparent. My guesture was a simple one, to make a long straw that leads from the Riverwalk into the river. I certainly did not want people to drink the water, merely to remember how disgusting this river is, amid this sculptural staircase and heavily landscaped area, both of which look expensive. For this piece to be more successful, I think I would have to be a little less genuine with the materials in order to have a more successful visual piece, the straws were just not strong enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment