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Riverwall
Gateway to the Tampa Riverwalk
Artist: Bruce Marsh
Commissioning Agency: City of Tampa
Location:
Channelside Drive and S. Beneficial Drive, downtown
Located at the Southern Plaza, Riverwall provides an iconic entrance
to the Riverwalk. The vision of the Tampa Riverwalk is to create a
vibrant and interactive waterfront experience for residents and
visitors that reflects the spirit and uniqueness of Tampa. Riverwall
is one of the many unique cultural components integrated into the
Riverwalk.
(detailed view) |
 "I
set out to build a diverse collection of images which would show the
visual and cultural diversity of the river, from many viewpoints and
times. The images range from the urban to the wild, from Platt
Street to the Green Swamp, from close studies of weeds to the map
like aerial views, and from around the clock. I also included
several images of paintings I’ve made of the river, as a record of
my fascination with close and intense observation of its visual
complexity and beauty.
The idea of a quilt of images arose from my interest in the contrast
of close and distant views, and about engaging a viewer with an
abstract, yet curious image, seen from a distance, which is loaded
with information on a closer view. It is about enticing the viewer
to a close and perhaps surprising multitude of views.
I have used the idea of a grid of images in many of my paintings
over the years, and continue to be delighted with the interplay of
deep space and flat pattern which it provides. This interplay can
animate an image, and perhaps lead the viewer to some inkling of the
complexity of perception.
With the idea in hand I proceeded to search for a medium to realize
it, permanently, at the exterior site. I found a process for
creating high resolution, full color images, with mineral pigments
fired on steel plates. The process created extremely sharp and high
contrast images, with a full range of color, which is extremely
color fast and permanent.
click to see detailed view
Then I proceeded to make and edit the photos, and to assemble them
into the composition. The process was facilitated by software which
organized the individual photos into a whole, but it also required
extensive editing of the photographs to create the overall
composition. The final image contains 550 photos, printed on 10
steel plates, each 88” high by 48” wide.
I hope it does justice to the diversity of the River, and that it
may entice viewers to experience the River at first hand. The River
is a surviving connection to a wild and ancient Florida."
- Bruce Marsh, October, 2009
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