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Janet Echelman

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Janet Echelman
Echelman in 2014
Born (1966-03-19) March 19, 1966 (age 58)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
EducationHarvard University
Known forSculpture
public art
AwardsGuggenheim Fellowship
Websiteechelman.com

Janet Echelman is an American fiber artist who creates large-scale, aerial sculptures that blend art, architecture, and engineering. Her works are often installed in public spaces and are created using lightweight, flexible materials like fiber, netting, and rope. These sculptures interact with natural elements like wind and light, creating dynamic, and ever-changing forms. [1][2]

She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Echelman was named an Architectural Digest 2012 Innovator for "changing the very essence of urban spaces."[3] Echelman's artwork has been reviewed in The New York Times, Newsweek, Time, and was selected for Architectural Digest's "Innovators". She serves on the Harvard Board of Overseers.[4][5]

Early life and education

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Janet Echelman was born in Tampa, Florida in 1966.[6] Her father is an endocrinologist, and her mother a jewelry designer.[7] She graduated from Harvard University in 1987.[8]

Career

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Echelman traveled to Hong Kong on a Rotary International Fellowship to study Chinese brush painting and calligraphy.[9] She later returned to Harvard University as an artist-in-residence and was given an old squash court to use as her studio.[10] In 1997, Echelman won a Fulbright Senior Lectureship and traveled to India with the intention of giving painting exhibitions.[11] Her artistic supplies were lost in transit to Mahabalipuram, so she began working with local bronze-casters but the material was heavy and too expensive for her budget. While watching fishermen bundling their nets, Echelman was inspired to take a new approach, creating volumetric form without heavy, solid materials. In collaboration with the fishermen, Echelman created a series of netted sculptures, her "Bellbottoms" series.[9]

Echelman has developed aerial sculptures into 270-foot (82 m) structures machine-woven from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and suspended from skyscrapers.[12] The lightweight surfaces of these sculptures shift and ripple with air currents, an effect which may be enhanced with projected light and fans; these are often installed so the audience may interact with the sculpture, reinforcing Echelman's theme of interconnectedness.[13]

Works

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Earthtime Series

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Earthtime in Madrid, Spain, 2018

Janet Echelman's Earthtime Series is a collection of large-scale, aerial sculptures created between 2019 and 2021, designed to interact with their environment. Made from lightweight, flexible fibers, these nets are suspended over public spaces and move with the wind, symbolizing the interplay between natural forces and human creativity. The series goal is to emphasize the passage of time and the interconnectedness of life on Earth, urging viewers to reflect on the planet's fragility and the importance of sustainability. [14][15][16]

Bill Clinton in front of Where We Met, 2016
Impatient Optimist, 2015

Where We Met

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Installed in 2016, this aerial net sculpture measures 200 by 130 feet (61 m × 40 m) and is suspended over the Great Lawn of LeBauer City Park in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina.[17] The design is inspired by the city's textile industry and the six railroad lines that intersected there, bringing people together.[18]

Impatient Optimist

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Installed in 2015, Impatient Optimist was commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation for their global campus in downtown Seattle that opened in 2011.[19] By photographing the Seattle sky every five minutes during a 24-hour period, Echelman and her studio analyzed the color data of the picture sequence and graphed it radially.[20]

Every Beating Second

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Within the renovated Terminal 2 of San Francisco International Airport, this 40-foot (12 m) sculptural installation of colored netting hangs below three round skylights. During the day, the shadow of the sculpture interplays with a shaded outline of the shadow that would occur at the summer solstice. At night, the sculpture is lit with programmed color lighting.

Every Beating Second

The title of the sculpture is from a line by beat poet Allen Ginsberg in his poem Howl, which he wrote in San Francisco.[21] Visually, the sculpture evokes the contours and colors of cloud formations over San Francisco Bay and hints at the silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge. Aesthetically, the sculpture looks both backwards and forwards, drawing its color from the heyday of psychedelic music, the Summer of Love, and San Francisco's prominence in the beat poetry movement, while also referencing the contemporary bay area as a hub of innovation and interconnectivity for the world of technology.[22]

Water Sky Garden

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Water Sky Garden in Vancouver, 2010

Put on display beginning in 2009, Water Sky Garden is a contemplative art environment at the plaza surrounding the Richmond Olympic Oval, a legacy of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Red-stained cedar boardwalks lead visitors through the artwork.[23] Water-purifying aerators draw shapes with bubbles on the surface of a pond that collects runoff water from the Oval's 5-acre roof, while suspended net sculptures move overhead in the wind, becoming sky-lanterns with nighttime illumination.

Her Secret is Patience in Phoenix, 2009

Her Secret Is Patience

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Finished in 2009, this 145-foot-tall (44 m) aerial net sculpture is suspended over Civic Space Park in Phoenix, Arizona. Nighttime illumination colors change gradually through the seasons, from blues in the summer to reds in the winter.[13] The title quotes poet Waldo Emerson: "Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience."

She Changes

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She Changes in Porto, Portugal

Installed at the Praça da Cidade do Salvador, Porto, Portugal in 2005, this sculpture is composed of an aerial net sculpture hanging from a 45-metre (148 ft) steel ring on three steel support poles. The city has made the sculpture its graphic symbol and residents give different interpretations of the work, from fishing nets, ships and masts of maritime history, to smokestacks of the industrial past, to Portuguese lace, sea creatures, and ripples in water.[22]

Current

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Installed in 2023, the sculpture is suspended over High and Gay streets in Downtown Columbus. It is her only work over an intersection. It is hung around a large redevelopment by Jeff Edwards, who paid for the sculpture. [24][25][26]     

As If It Were Already Here

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Commissioned by the Greenway Conservancy's Public Art Program, As If It Were Already Here was suspended over the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, MA from May through October 2015. The netted sculpture was 245 feet long and tethered to surrounding skyscrapers.[27]

As If It Were Already Here in Boston, 2015

The piece's design represented the history of the space that it was suspended across.[28] Three voids in the sculpture recalled the history of the "Tri-Mountain" which once existed in its spot but was flattened in the 18th century to allow for more flat land near the harbor. Six colorful stripes across the piece represented the six lanes of traffic of the highway that used to occupy the space of the greenway before the "Big-Dig" that relocated the highway underground.[29] In 2023, the Boston Society of Architects awarded the work its Harleston Parker Medal, which recognizes "the most beautiful piece of architecture, building, monument, or structure built in the metropolitan Boston area in the past 10 years".[30]

Skies Painted with Unnumbered Sparks

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Skies Painted with Unnumbered Sparks, 2014

An aerial sculpture created for the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference's 30th anniversary in March 2014, suspended between the Vancouver Convention Centre and a 30-story building. For this piece, Echelman collaborated with the Google Creative Lab's Creative Director of the Data Arts team, Aaron Koblin.[31] The sculpture spanned 745 feet. Viewers were able to connect to the lighting program and interact with the sculpture with their smartphones.

The Space Between Us

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The Space Between Us

Echelman was commissioned to build one of her aerial net sculptures for a one-night light festival, GLOW, in Santa Monica on the night of September 28, 2013. The sculpture included shaped beach and an audio program to immerse visitors in the piece.[32] More than 150,000 people attended and experienced the sculpture that night. The New York Times credited Echelman's work for "giving crafts a coolly conceptual edge."[33]

The experience of creating this sculpture marked a point of change for Echelman. "The beach is the charged zone between human society and uncontrolled nature," she said. "I'm interested in sculpting earth and sky, and placing ourselves in between. It's the collision of heaviness and lightness, between our gravity-bound bodies which walk on sand, and the part of us which seeks to float in air, or in water."[34]

Personal life

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Echelman was married to David Feldman, and they had two children together.[35]

Awards

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  • Public Art Network's Year in Review Award[36] (2005,[37] 2010,[38] 2015,[39] 2017[40])
  • Tuft's University Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts (2016)[41]
  • United States Artists Fellowship (2016)[42]
  • Smithsonian magazine's American Ingenuity Award, Visual Arts (2014)[43]
  • Architectural Digest magazine's Innovator (2012)[44]
  • John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Fellowship in Fine Arts (2011–12)[45]
  • Harvard University Loeb Fellowship (2007–08, 2012–13)[46]
  • Fulbright Senior Lectureship in Visual Art (1997, extended 1997–98)[47]

References

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  1. ^ "Department of Art Lecture Series- Janet Echelman: "Reshaping Public Space" - University of Oregon". Calendar.uoregon.edu. October 21, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  2. ^ "Janet Echelman: 1.8 Renwick | Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  3. ^ "Janet Echelman | Speaker". TED.com. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  4. ^ Chaidez, Alexandra A.; Ryan, Aidan F. (May 31, 2019). "Harvard Announces New Board of Overseers Members". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved June 28, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "studio echelman weaves luminous 'earthtime' for mercedes benz in munich". designboom | architecture & design magazine. 2021-08-15. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  6. ^ "Janet Echelman | Smithsonian American Art Museum". Americanart.si.edu. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  7. ^ "How One Artist Learned to Sculpt the Wind". Smithsonianmag.com. November 20, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  8. ^ "Net Effects". Harvard Magazine. April 15, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Commencement 2016: Biographies - Janet Echelman". Tufts Now. May 13, 2016. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "Students Paint Wall Mural | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  11. ^ "Janet Echelman installs woven sculpture in Florida to honour Civil Rights Movement". Dezeen. 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2021-08-16.
  12. ^ Company, Tampa Publishing. "Janet Echelman discusses her public art sculpture at the new St. Pete Pier". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2021-08-16. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. ^ a b "Janet Echelman: How Did A Mishap Lead To An Artist's Best Work?". NPR.org. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  14. ^ "Janet Echelman's 1.8 Renwick | Washington DC". washington.org. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  15. ^ "Inside the High-Tech Makeover of America's Oldest Art Museum Building". Bloomberg.com. 2015-11-09. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  16. ^ "Janet Echelman completes rippling sculpture in Riyadh informed by earthquake and tsunami data". Archinect. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  17. ^ "Janet Echelman's Railroad-Inspired Net Sculpture Premiers in North Carolina". ArchDaily. August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  18. ^ DeCwikiel-Kane, Dawn (August 11, 2016). "Spotlight turns to LeBauer Park sculpture (Video)". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  19. ^ "Impatient Optimist Sculpture Unveiled". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  20. ^ "Impatient Optimist, Seattle, WA, 2015 - Janet Echelman". Janet Echelman. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  21. ^ Ginsberg, Allen (2016). Wait Till I'm Dead. New York, NY: Bill Morgan. ISBN 978-0-8021-2453-1.
  22. ^ a b Rao, Mallika (March 29, 2012). "Janet Echelman Reshaping Urban Airspace World-Wide". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  23. ^ "Janet Echelman Reshaping Urban Airspace World-Wide". ArchDaily. March 25, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  24. ^ www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/06/09/the-weekly-rundown-current-sculpture.html. Retrieved 2024-08-15. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  25. ^ "A new sight in downtown Columbus: 'Current,' the floating sculpture". 10tv.com. 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
  26. ^ www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2023/06/02/current-art-hanging.html. Retrieved 2024-08-15. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. ^ "Artist Janet Echelman creates aerial rope sculpture in Boston". Dezeen. July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  28. ^ Magazine, Wallpaper* (July 20, 2015). "Echelman's web: knotted rope sculpture floats high above Boston | Art | Wallpaper* Magazine". Wallpaper*. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  29. ^ "As If It Were Already Here, Boston, MA, 2015 - Janet Echelman". Janet Echelman. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  30. ^ Lee, Abigail (18 January 2023). "Janet Echelman's memorable 2015 piece wins Boston Society for Architecture's Harleston Parker Medal". Boston Globe. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  31. ^ Legg, Heidi (March 20, 2014). "745 Foot Sky Sculpture Hovers over TED Talks in Vancouver". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  32. ^ Times, Los Angeles (September 29, 2013). "Glow is back, bringing all-night art to Santa Monica". Framework. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  33. ^ Lovett, Ian (September 29, 2013). "Glow Art Festival Illuminates a Beach". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  34. ^ "The Space Between Us, Santa Monica, CA, 2013 - Janet Echelman". Janet Echelman. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  35. ^ "OBITUARY David Nathaniel Feldman". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  36. ^ "PAN Year in Review & Database". Americans for the Arts. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  37. ^ "2005 Public Art Network Year in Review: She Changes". Americans for the Arts. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  38. ^ "2010 Public Art Network Year in Review: Her Secret Is Patience". Americans for the Arts. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  39. ^ "Skies Painted with Unnumbered Sparks". Americans for the Arts. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  40. ^ "Public Art Network Year In Review Database". Americans for the Arts. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  41. ^ "Honorary Degree Recipients 2016 | Commencement". Commencement.tufts.edu. May 22, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  42. ^ Janet Echelman (November 16, 2016). "Janet Echelman — United States Artists". Unitedstatesartists.org. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  43. ^ "Smithsonian Ingenuity Awards 2014: Janet Echelman | Smithsonian". Smithsonianmag.com. March 16, 2012. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  44. ^ Patricia Leigh Brown (August 31, 2012). "Janet Echelman's Suspended Sculptures". Architectural Digest. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  45. ^ "John Simon Guggenheim Foundation | Janet S. Echelman". Gf.org. June 20, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  46. ^ Walsh, Colleen (13 September 2007). "School of Design names Loeb fellowship class for 2007-08". News.harvard.edu. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  47. ^ Janet Echelman. "Janet Echelman". TEDxFulbright.org. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
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