Memento and Short in the Tooth

Description: Three large sections of the original roadway grating of the South Park Bridge bascule have been repurposed into a large scale sculpture that mimics a stop-action view of a bridge leaf raising (or lowering). Recycled road reflectors were integrated into the bridge decking as a play on light; they appear to be suspended in space within the overlapping bascule leafs.

The two interlocking elements from the center of the bridge span are installed vertically, much like a beacon or totem, adjacent to the bridge decking sculpture.

Artist Statement: My artwork is a tribute to the people of South Park and their beloved old bridge. Although the South Park Bridge was their main artery to Seattle, it had to be removed because the bridge piers had been sinking slowly over time.  Settling caused the teeth of each leaf to hit in the middle, (instead of closing). As a result, the teeth had to be ground down periodically to enable the bascules to close to level. 

The old bridge reached a point where no more metal could be removed.   Therefore, the expansion joint totem is called:  “Short in the Tooth”.  The bridge decking installation is considered a keepsake of the old bridge and  is called:  “Memento”.   

Location: Seattle Public Utilities South Transfer Station, the meadow to the east of the facility, 130 South Kenyon Street, Seattle WA 98108