The “Periwinkle” art installation hits all the feels and is superbly sensational!
I met with artists Marianne Newsom and Sunny Sliger, namely “The Color Condition”, to visit their fantabulous “Periwinkle” installation at City Place. A riot of colorful recycled textiles which have been woven, knitted, crocheted, torn and tied to create the most colorful, tactile, sensory public art experience around. The installation spans the length of the bridge crossing the water, as well as the meandering walkways and pergolas in the area, yoga groups practice sun salutations and children celebrate birthday parties, with this joyous myriad of colors and textures as their canopy.
Marianne told me “Our work has always been very playful and celebratory, it’s about cultures and times and color movement, so we try to incorporate that. City Place came to us and wanted to do an activation for the space and how people were engaging in it. The entrance piece is all lit up at night and it’s just a beacon of color, there are light poles which you can walk beneath, and then across the bridge.”
The recycled components, consisting of back stock and dead stock materials that would have gone to landfill, are disassembled and reimagined into other installations across the country. The Color Condition work can be enjoyed in environments such as public parks and music festivals. “Periwinkle” will be repurposed into another event.
Inspired by the wonder of childhood and children’s games like Candyland, as well as literary classics, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Marianne explained, “How the landscape is set up, there are all the pathways, made us think about children’s games, putting the fantastical with the commonplace to give that juxtaposition of capturing a child’s sense of wonder.”
Igniting memories in the young at heart as well as the young in years. This installation is multidimensional, kindling the senses appreciated by all age groups, it’s also appealing to the visually impaired, the feel and touch of the different textures, burlap and AstroTurf, as well as the sounds of the elements whirling through the hanging strips of caution tape and torn cellophane.
“Periwinkle” is the first in a series of art installations and permanent pieces at City Place, formerly Springwoods Village, a sustainable, forward-thinking and dynamic hub for business, leisure and living located at the axis of the Grand Parkway, Hardy Toll Road and Interstate 45. Spanning 2,000 acres, protected forests and natural ecosystems coexist beautifully within an architecturally significant environment that has attracted major employers along with a daytime workforce approaching 20,000. Two residential enclaves, and several luxury apartment communities, will soon include a multitude of new single and multifamily housing options. Miles of trails connect an array of amenities including three Marriott hotels, a 150-acre nature preserve, Movie dine-in theater, Fitness club, The Market – Houston’s first LEED Certified multi-tenant retail development – and a 60-acre, mixed-use urban core that frames a programmed, waterfront plaza and park. "Periwinkle" is presented by Houston based Weingarten Art Group. Principal, Lea Weingarten, commented, “The City Place team is inspired by the simple premise that some of the most intriguing art may be experienced in everyday life, outside the confines of a museum or gallery. The beauty of this sustainable community has created an incredible canvas to curate a unique vision that complements its multi-dimensional character and vibrancy.”
https://www.thecolorcondition.com
"Our work has always been very playful and celebratory..."