Item 09 _ AIPP-EmmaLongPark_RyahChristensen - Presentation.pdf — original pdf

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• Project: Emma Long Park • Artist(s): Ryah Christensen • Phase: Final Design VOTE • Project Budget: $48,000 • Council District: 10 • Project Manager: Ryan Runcie • Sponsoring Department: Parks & Recreation (PARD) AIPP PANEL MEETING AGENDA ITEM #5 DATE: MONDAY, JUNE 3, 2024 The Dogtail Mushroom can be found in places which are loved Final Design Presentation by Ryah Christensen  The Dogtail Mushroom - model ● The "Dogtail Mushroom" is a whimsical sculpture designed to intrigue and delight people who frequent Emma Long Park's popular Turkey Creek Trail. ● It celebrates the very important role Dogs play in the lives of those whom they love, and who love them. ● It calls our attention to the complex ecosystem thriving at Emma Long Park, which is home to many flora and fauna as well as several endangered species. It reminds us that whenever we hike the Turkey Creek Trail, we become an intimate part of that ecosystem. Simplified 1/10 scale model 3 views Simplified Model - 3 views 7’ 13.5’ 4’ 4.5” Back 18” Front Side Full Scale Pattern - 3 views WHAT IS THE STORY? The mythical "Dogtail Mushroom," which resembles a leaping dog, grows from a nurse tree which, during its lifetime, was loved by many for its food, shade, and shelter. The mushroom's long tendrils travel deeply into the tree's carcass, turning the wood into rich dirt that will grow many new trees. Like many other mushrooms, the Dogtail helps the plants around it communicate and share nutrients with one another. It grows strong by helping its neighbors grow strong as well. You can find it in places which are loved. It helps to have a dog with you, for a dog's nose is so powerful, it can smell the mushroom deep inside the earth. A dog will know the mushroom is there even when we can't see it. Joon - Dog at Walnut Creek, Austin TX HOW DID WE GET HERE? Joon - Dog at Guerrero Park, Austin TX COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - We spent a day last spring interviewing and surveying Turkey Creek Trail hikers about their relationship to Emma Long Park and their thoughts on Public Art at the trailhead. We discovered that nearly everyone who visits that trail has at least one dog, and that walking that trail regularly with their dog is, for many, akin to a religious practice. People who cherish off - leash trails like Turkey Creek tend to view dogs as extraordinary creatures who guide our bodies and souls on important adventures - who teach us how to appreciate life, have fun, connect with nature and experience gratitude for the many small, yet essential gifts the world offers our senses every moment we are alive. The conversations we had with Turkey Creek Hikers convinced us that our sculpture needed to honor both dogs and nature. Our family in the Gila National Forest, NM WE ARE DOG PEOPLE WE ARE DOG PEOPLE ! Dogs have always been a very important part of our Family. Their company in our Home, our Studio, and on our Adventures has been an essential part of our spiritual and creative lives. While designing this sculpture we lost our beloved Joon - Dog to bone cancer. This artwork, in part, is an homage to her great spirit. OBSESSION WITH MYCORRHIZAL NETWORK Ryah’s drawings of Mycorrhizal Patterns I am an avid gardener who is obsessed with the mycorrhizal network’s role in balancing ecosystems. Mushrooms make perfect metaphors for healthy families. They teach us to be good citizens and pay attention to our environment. They remind us that we are part of a global, diverse community. They are geometrically fascinating. Their mycelium look like neural axons. Some like to say the mycorrhizal network is nature’s “mind.” Right: Mycelium. From the American Society of Biology, https://journals.asm.org/d oi/10.1128/microbiolspec. funk-0033-2017 OBSESSION WITH TALAVERA TILE I have always held a deep respect for Talavera tile. I love Talavera for its sensual texture – especially the designs that combine the matte “cuerda seca” with the glossy, raised glaze. I also love that when I look at Talavera tile I think of the movement of people – of artists – across the world and through time. Talavera tile making has roots in the Ottoman, Persian and Byzantine Empires, whose artists (and their students, children, families) traveled through Northern Africa, into Spain and eventually to the New World, where their craft mixed with Indigenous Artists’ craft to become what we now call authentic, Mexican “Talavera.” The Dogtail Mushroom asks us to ponder our place in the wide world as we walk and wander, and so, it seemed appropriate that its mycorrhizal tile patterns be executed in a style inspired by Talavera tile. Anonymous 17th c. Iran (source:www.christies.com) Uriarte Talavera “Cadiz” Mexico 2023 Christensen “Mycorrhizal Magic” Texas 2023 Ryah Christensen Dogtail Mushroom Tile Mockup Cone 5 porcelain clay Aftosa wax Cuerda seca Mayco “Stoneware” and “Stroke and Coat” glaze 14 x 16” HOW WILL WE MAKE THIS? ? Joon - Dog, Walnut Creek, Austin, TX HOW SHALL WE MAKE THIS? S T R U C T U R E The Dogtail Mushroom sits on a 5' 4.5” hexagonal concrete platform and 18" pier. The "Nurse tree" is a (roughly) 3 x 8' concrete form covered in porcelain tile. The "Mushroom" will be painted plate and sheet steel made in two sections (the "head" and "tail") that are sitting on top of, and bolted into, the concrete and tile "nurse tree." WHERE WILL THE DOGTAIL MUSHROOM LIVE? WHERE WILL THE DOGTAIL MUSHROOM LIVE? ? The Dogtail Mushroom in situ (in between the picnic area and Mesquite tree, adjacent to the Turkey Creek Trail Parking Lot) CAN WE AFFORD IT? CAN WE AFFORD TO MAKE THE DOGTAIL MUSHROOM? ? – YES, JOON. IT’S TIGHT BUT WE CAN MAKE IT! budget WHEN WILL WE MAKE THIS? LET’S DO THIS! TIMELINE MAY, 2024 - approval of final design. MAY-JUNE, 2024 - fabrication of patterns and concrete forms. JULY - AUGUST, 2024 - fabrication of tile and steel sculpture. SEPTEMBER, 2024 - site prep and concrete pour. OCTOBER, 2024 - installation of steel sculpture, and installation of tile (weather depending - extreme heat will delay tile installation).