Playland
Artist
Jennifer Dixon
MediumGalvanized steel poles and crossbars, salvaged traffic signs, paint
DimensionsOverall: 10 x 1000 x 4 13/16 ft. (304.8 x 30,478.5 x 146.7 cm)
ClassificationsIntegrated Art
Credit LineSeattle Department of Transportation 1% for Art funds
Description: PlayLand consists of repurposed SDOT road signs used to create a large colorful collage that mimics the contour of a roller coaster. PlayLand reflects Bitter Lake/Broadview’s varied history and features a series of themes and motifs reflecting the area and its history from the Playland amusement park and the historic sawmill, to the native animals and the neighborhood’s residential/commercial development.
Artist Statement: PlayLand takes its name and inspiration from the 12-acre amusement park that operated along Seattle’s historic Interurban rail line from 1930-1961. Its grand attraction, the Dipper, a world-class roller coaster 55 feet tall at its highest point, sent cars screaming downhill at nearly 100 miles per hour. The Bitter Lake Community Center now sits close to where the Dipper thrilled Seattleites for decades.
In addition to the original Playland, the work alludes to the natural beauty and history of the Pacific Northwest: noble forests of Douglas Fir and cedar, sprawling rural farmland and a small sawmill operating on the lake in 1913 and responsible for Bitter Lake’s name.
Using salvaged traffic signs and materials exclusively used by the Seattle Department of Transportation, PlayLand celebrates the urban environment and the city infrastructure that makes it possible.
By reinforcing a beloved historic site, I hope to provide a sense of wonder and fun for all!
