Art is way of
communicating a message or a thought through visual creation and design.
There is a great deal
of art that we may take for granted while traveling across Kansas roads: The
way that highways are designed, how traffic signs use color and graphic design
to communicate informative messages as we travel and how a bridge is created so
that these infrastructures can bear the weight of thousands of vehicles a day
traveling across them.
All of these aspects of
transportation and more required an artist’s hand at some point and the end
result, while not exactly something you can hang on your office or living room
wall, are still incredible works that can be appreciated by experiencing them.
Along Kellogg/U.S. 54
in Wichita, travelers get the chance to experience the infrastructure and incredible bas-relief sculptures
that were created by artist, Steven Weitzman.
Bas-relief sculptures are created when the sculpted elements remain attached to
the background.
One of Weitzman’s sculptures in Wichita is a piece titled “Time Passages,” and
it includes 36 cast stone bas-relief panels that span 16,000 square feet. It
was created using form liners.
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| A section of Steven Weitzman's "Time Passages" sculpture from a distance. Photo Credit: Steven Weitzman creativedesignresolutions.com |
Weitzman’s website, creativedesignresolutions.com, said this sculpture was selected as the aesthetic theme for the Kellogg/Oliver interchange.
“The designs include
quotations regarding the passage of time, monumental roman clocks, a 25-foot
vertical working sundial and enormous leaves that appear to be scattered by
the wind and passing vehicles,” the website said. “The quotation cast into the
parapet fascia of the bridge serves as a pleasant reminder to the commuters
that ‘The Journey is the reward.’”
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| A car drives past a secion of Steven Weitzman's bas-relief sculpture, "Time Passages" along Kellogg/U.S. 54. Photo credit: Steven Weitzman. creativedesignresolutions.com |
We had the opportunity to interview the artist about his work, and his
experiences as he creates other works similar to “Time Passages.” Weitzman
explains how art is essential to transportation.
What was your inspiration for placing these bas-relief sculptures along
highways and bridges?
SW: Storytelling
and discovery is the hallmark of my design work. At the Kellogg
and Woodlawn interchange, you would discover a dynamic, non-repetitive bas-relief
sculpture which is 25 feet high. This exciting, highly-detailed retaining
wall affects changes with the movement of the sun. It was made entirely
from only 36 form liners
and also includes landscaped areas. My
projects have to be affordable for the client and
easily fabricated by normal construction means and methods. In this case,
we were able to create unlimited combinations and permutations showing stylized
planted fields of the Kansas landscape as seen from high above simply by rotating
and re-configuring the placement of these beautiful liner sections.
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A section of a retaining wall at the Kellogg/Oliver Interchange in Wichita.Photo credit: Steven Weitzman. creativedesignresolutions.com
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How are these works along highways created? How long can it
take?
SW: To begin with, I am normally brought on to serve as a
liaison between a DOT and their engineers of record as well as their
constituents to help translate the engineering requirements and needs of
the DOT with the interests of their constituents. The final goal is to
produce low cost (often 1 percent or under), low-maintenance, high-quality and
site-specific safe infrastructure enhancements. I vet the information
derived from these community outreach meetings and our own research with
the DOT, and then I return to present the conceptual design to the community.
This can include on-site computer models, highly realistic drive-throughs
and fly-throughs, and any other means to accurately show the DOT
and their constituents their aesthetic options and possible alternatives for
their specific project. The timeline is usually predicated on the letting
dates, but it can take as little as five months or as long as the
engineering design team requires, since we coordinate with the engineering
development.
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| A detail of the retaining wall texture at the Kellogg/Oliver interchange. Weitzman[ uses form liners in his work to create these bas-relief sculptures. Photo courtesy Steven Weitzman. creativedesignresolutions.com |
What is the reception of these projects when they are installed?
Who do they impact?
SW: I
have been humbled by the outpouring of compliments, gratitude, and awards my
company has received over the years for our context-sensitive
infrastructure projects. DOT Directors of Operations, District Engineers,
community leaders, and constituents have expressed to me and my staff the
positive effect our work has had in transforming the everyday lives of their
citizens. They appreciate the way we
tell the story of their community through the art that my company, Creative
Design Resolutions, creates for them.
What messages do these sculptures share with the communities that
they are installed in?
SW: We tell the story of the place and the people it serves. That story begins with
the community’s involvement and is balanced by the needs and requirements of
the DOT. When completed, it reflects thesignificance of the people, their environment, their history,
and their future. We understand that people want to be proud of where they
live. In this regard, transportation infrastructure projects function as local
or regional landmarks, gateways to cities or other symbols for communities, and
may thus make a strong impression on residents and visitors alike.
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| A section of the bas-relief sculpture, "Time Passages" along Kellogg/U.S 54. Photo credit: Steven Weitzman. creativedesignresolutions.com |
Do you feel that art and transportation can work
together? If so, how?
SW: Absolutely. They have to. First, the integration of the
aesthetic enhancements must coordinate with the overall project timeline and
fit with the budget. The art should also meet the community’s vision.
Additionally, the chosen artist needs to be familiar with the engineering
requirements of these types of projects. They will need to work
closely with the engineers of record throughout their engineering design
process. This can be done in a more cost-effective way by getting the
artist involved early in the engineering design phases of the project, because
at that point many of the aesthetic decisions can be incorporated into the
superstructure or base structure without adding any extra costs.
Mr. Weitzman, thank you for your time in answering these
questions. Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about your
work?
SW: I
have been extremely fortunate to have worked in the transportation design and
public art industries since 1971. My company, Creative Design Resolutions, was
created in 1998 to focus solely on aesthetic integration in
highway and transportation projects. Since that time, we have worked with
many Departments of Transportation in the country and numerous
architectural and engineering firms nationwide. I am gratified
to have completed dozens of signature projects that may have had a small but
lasting effect on the beauty of America's Interstate highway system.
