Along NorthWest Davis Street
Portland, OR
These amazing structures are by Seattle based artist Dan Corson and are titled Nepenthes. There are four of them along NorthWest Davis Street ,each standing 17 feet tall covered in photo-voltaic cells. The elements glow at night.
Nepenthes, named after the magical greek potion that eliminates sorrow and suffering.
From an article by DesignBoom: By referencing the patterns of Oregon native vegetation and other carnivorous plants and inserting a quirky expression of nature into an urban environment, these sculptures celebrate historic Chinatown’s unique and diverse community. The structures are created out of robust layers of translucent fiberglass with embedded with LED lights wrapping around a steel spine. a custom created solar panel on top energizes the batteries, and also allows circular shadows to back-light the tops of the sculptures in the daytime. Each sculpture is physically identical, yet they all have a unique translucent color and patterning that gives each piece its own distinctive personality. From an urban planning perspective, the project was designed to increase pedestrian connectivity between two important neighborhoods. The project was funded by TriMet and managed by the Regional Arts & Culture Council and is now a part of the city of Portland’s public art collection.
According to Corson’s website:
Dan Corson’s Artwork straddles the disciplines of Art, Theatrical Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture and sometimes even Magic. His projects have ranged from complex rail stations and busy public intersections to quiet interpretive buildings, meditation chambers and galleries. With a Masters Degree in Art from the University of Washington and a BA in Theatrical Design from San Diego State University, Corson’s work is infused with drama, passion, layered meanings and often engages the public as co-creators within his environments.
Photo courtesy of Dan Corson wesbiste