Take Flight

Take Flight, 2017, acrylic, ink, pyrogravure on found branches, and vinyl on interior stairwell, 27' x 46’                                                                                                                                  A site-specific installation dedicated to those who have found nourishment upon this fertile ground                                                                                                                            Collection of Newkirk Alumni Center, University of California, Irvine

Native to Orange County and adorned with UC Irvine’s blue and gold, the American yellow warbler, American goldfinch, and California scrub jay find shelter under a canopy of eucalyptus. Belonging to same class, but different families in the animal kingdom, these birds symbolize the university’s commitment to excellence through diversity. Thirty-three leaves loom overhead, representing the thirty-three species of eucalyptus that have taken root on anteater soil. The wingèd creatures gather around the nest, an ever-expanding place of incubation, nourishment, and growth.

The scrub jay perches, calling forth a mist that carries the names of our Lauds & Laurels recipients. The goldfinch observes knowingly. For years, she’s circled the campus and has borne witness to all that has been accomplished here. The yellow warbler soars from Langson Library, a sanctuary wherein inspiration abounds and students spend countless hours in pursuit of the knowledge that will prepare them for their forthcoming journey.

Inspired by the heart of campus, Aldrich Park, from whose center radiates the concentric circles created by its undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, the nest is woven from branches that have been collected throughout the verdant groves that dapple campus. The names of our scholars have been burned into each of the 170 branches, each branch representing 1,100 students, to note the 187,000 graduates who will have fledged from UC Irvine by the closing of 2017. Their names swirl around the center of the grove, echoing the continuous cyclical nature of our students as they swoop in for nourishment before fluttering out into the world to apply the knowledge that they have gathered during their time here. They take flight, and as natural as migration, the winds await their return.   

"The human bird shall take his first flight, filling the world with amazement … bringing eternal glory to the nest whence he sprang."  - Leonardo da Vinci

Watch the development of the installation (and my first mural)!                                                                                                                       

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