Vancouver residents and attendees of TED Conference’s 30th Anniversary celebration were in for a treat this year, as world-renowned artist Janet Echelman assembled her greatest work to date above the bustling city streets. According to the artist’s website, “Studio Echelman installed its largest, most interactive sculpture installation to date [in] March 2014. The monumental aerial sculpture spanned 745 feet between the 24-story Fairmont Waterfront and the Vancouver Convention Center, challenging the artist to work on her most ambitious scale yet – over twice the size of her largest previous sculpture.”
One of the greatest things about Echelman’s body of work is the way that the artist has redefined the medium of sculpture, and has fostered local cultures through public art in the process. Her “sculptures” are free-flowing, elevated pieces of art that take new shape amid the urban elements they are surrounded by. Echelman is world-renowned for her imaginative, gravity-defying vision; her art merges ancient traditions with cutting-edge technology and results in whimsical, strong, and almost celestial living sculptures that have the power to transform urban landscapes.
“Janet Echelman builds living, breathing sculpture environments that respond to the forces of nature – wind, water and light – and become inviting focal points for civic life,” her biography explains. Her work is profound, groundbreaking, and has changed the way that people regard contemporary public art. Learn more about Echelman’s story, her sprawling body of work, and her latest installation in Vancouver by visiting our full profile on the artist.
Photo Credit: Christopher Michel via Flickr CC