JOHN RUGGIERI PROPOSAL: Light Savers
The following was submitted in 2003 in response to an invitation to artists to participate in THE FOUR ELEMENTS by The Forest Hills Educational Trust. This juried outdoor exhibition consists of temporary installation work and sculpture set into the landscape of Forest Hills Cemetery, a magnificent 19th century garden-style cemetery and arboretum in Boston, MA.
John Ruggieri’s photography, painting, and site-specific installation work are strongly influenced by light, technology, and design. He states: “I was shaped by nature. It is the filter that informs my work. My process always begins there, and ends in abstract form. Even though I’ve been gazing at the bright blue rays of TV since childhood—and into the hot yellow sun of pop culture in America—again and again it is to nature that I return.”
Several flat circular mirrors (or mounted mirrored sheeting such as that sewn into Tibetan textiles) will float on the surface of Lake Hibiscus at Forest Hills Cemetery. These forms will be placed atop sturdy flotation devices that are anchored to avoid drifting. The exact positioning, quantity, and sizes of the mirrored forms will be finalized later to create maximum visual impact. Some options include:
one central disc in the middle with four smaller orbiting ones
four identical mirrors approximately five feet in diameter in each corner of the lake
a family of various-sized circular mirrors gathered within an inlet of the lake
The mirrors are intended to mimic the surface of the water as they reflect the sky/air above, merging both elements into one. It will produce an assortment of visual effects depending on natural effects of wind, weather, light, and time of day. Sunny days will yield bright discs of light, while the changing sky will create circles of color (blue skies, pink sunrises, orange sunsets, starry nights). Rippling water will contrast the stiff mirrors and create a stilled metaphor of water/sky/air. Visitors can witness the irony of an instant and physical memory of the sky/air on the water.
Final installation will be environmentally safe, and technical consultation on materials, size, and location will continue with Forest Hills caretakers and the staff and scientists at the local Massachusetts Audobon Society’s Boston Nature Center. The piece will be carefully installed without imposing itself or damaging the ecosystem and wildlife, e.g., snapping turtles.
JOHN RUGGIERI PROPOSAL: Light Savers
The following was submitted in 2003 in response to an invitation to artists to participate in THE FOUR ELEMENTS by The Forest Hills Educational Trust. This juried outdoor exhibition consists of temporary installation work and sculpture set into the landscape of Forest Hills Cemetery, a magnificent 19th century garden-style cemetery and arboretum in Boston, MA.
John Ruggieri’s photography, painting, and site-specific installation work are strongly influenced by light, technology, and design. He states: “I was shaped by nature. It is the filter that informs my work. My process always begins there, and ends in abstract form. Even though I’ve been gazing at the bright blue rays of TV since childhood—and into the hot yellow sun of pop culture in America—again and again it is to nature that I return.”
Several flat circular mirrors (or mounted mirrored sheeting such as that sewn into Tibetan textiles) will float on the surface of Lake Hibiscus at Forest Hills Cemetery. These forms will be placed atop sturdy flotation devices that are anchored to avoid drifting. The exact positioning, quantity, and sizes of the mirrored forms will be finalized later to create maximum visual impact. Some options include:
one central disc in the middle with four smaller orbiting ones
four identical mirrors approximately five feet in diameter in each corner of the lake
a family of various-sized circular mirrors gathered within an inlet of the lake
The mirrors are intended to mimic the surface of the water as they reflect the sky/air above, merging both elements into one. It will produce an assortment of visual effects depending on natural effects of wind, weather, light, and time of day. Sunny days will yield bright discs of light, while the changing sky will create circles of color (blue skies, pink sunrises, orange sunsets, starry nights). Rippling water will contrast the stiff mirrors and create a stilled metaphor of water/sky/air. Visitors can witness the irony of an instant and physical memory of the sky/air on the water.
Final installation will be environmentally safe, and technical consultation on materials, size, and location will continue with Forest Hills caretakers and the staff and scientists at the local Massachusetts Audobon Society’s Boston Nature Center. The piece will be carefully installed without imposing itself or damaging the ecosystem and wildlife, e.g., snapping turtles.