Confluent Boulders
Artist
Patrick Marold
MediumNatural stone boulders recovered from the Cedar and Tolt River Watersheds
Dimensions5 x 10 x 5 ft. (152.4 x 304.8 x 152.4 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineSeattle Public Utilities 1% for Art funds and Seattle Parks and Recreation 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy 1% for Art funds
Description: Confluent Boulders calls attention to the two sources of water that feed into the Maple Leaf Reservoir. The sculpture consists of two igneous boulders, each taken from the Tolt River and Cedar River Watersheds. The boulders have been divided into layers and reassembled to gradually intersect with the each other at their bases. They diverge towards the tops, rotating from alignment and revealing interior surfaces that have been carved to collect shallow pools of water at each layer. With the Cascade Range as a back drop, Confluent Boulders enhances our awareness of the region’s natural resources and its connection to the environment.
Artist Statement: Confluent Boulders calls attention to the sources of water that feed Maple Leaf Reservoir, now contained beneath the park. The mechanical confluence of the Tolt River and Cedar River Watersheds are represented by the segmented boulders twisting into each other.
The sculpture consists of two igneous boulders, each taken directly from the respective watersheds in the Cascade Mountains. The boulders have been divided into layers and reassembled to gradually intersect with the each other at their bases. They diverge towards the tops, rotating from alignment and revealing interior surfaces that have been carved to collect shallow pools of water at each layer. These pools reflect the presence of water during the wet seasons, as well as the lack of water during the dry seasons. Collectively the depressions expose relationships between stone and water, and draw our attention to our own perception of the land and the water we use as a community. The edges of each layer reference the fluctuating levels and contours of the watershed basins further linking the cycle of precipitation and the land.
The sculpture is placed to enforce a sense of context, and to be seen with the Cascade Range as a back drop. Maple Leaf Reservoir Park is uniquely positioned with a panoramic perspective of the city and the surrounding region presenting the viewer with a significant vista that this sculpture builds on. Embraced by this setting, the Confluent Boulders further enhance the public’s awareness of Seattle’s natural resources and environment.
