Kipp Kobayashi, Artist Talk
When: Thursday, October 19
Reception 5:30 PM
Artist’s Talk 6 PM – 7 PM
Where: Art7 Gallery, 2831 West 7th Street (in the same block as West Elm)
Parking: Free with validation in Crockett Row/West 7th Garages (Art7 Gallery will validate parking)
Free and open to the public. No RSVP required.
The City of Fort Worth is proud to welcome Collective Transitions, a dramatic new artwork by artist Kipp Kobayashi at Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth. Commissioned by the City of Fort Worth through the Fort Worth Public Art Program, the artwork explores the dynamics of social interaction as a result of shared physical space and common experience.
Referencing the function of “paperwork” in both work and play, and the evolution of the new terminal’s multi-use spaces, Kobayashi lightheartedly emphasizes the sociability of public environments and how we collectively impact, and are in turn impacted by them. The whimsical formation’s implied transformation, from natural birdlike shapes to classically, hand-folded paper planes to traditional aeronautic prototypes, is an expression of the fluidity and rhythms of conversation.
The artwork consists of 800 “paper airplanes” fabricated out of stainless steel and painted to look like folded paper. Each airplane is individually suspended from the ceiling of the three-story atrium at Meacham International Airport on fine stainless steel cables; the small airplanes soar whimsically through the space like a flock of birds. There are five unique designs, each representing a different style of aircraft. The reference to the movement of birds in flight is further reinforced as some of the forms appear almost bird-like.
About the artist: As an artist and urban designer, Kipp Kobayashi has a keen interest in the nature of human interaction in our public environments and is in constant search for ways to initiate dialogue and to promote sociability within these spaces. His work explores how these overlapping narrative threads merge with the physical characteristics of a specific environment, transforming them into living and unique entities composed of our thoughts, actions and experiences.
Based in Los Angeles, Kobayashi received a BA from the University of California at Berkeley, an MFA from the University of Southern California and has taught extensively in the Urban and Regional Planning department at the Cal Poly Pomona School of Environmental Design. Over the past 15 years, he has created projects and presented ideas for cities across the nation and for such organizations as the Getty Museum, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Sound Transit and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority.
About Fort Worth Public Art: Fort Worth Public Art is a City of Fort Worth program created to enhance the visual environment, commemorate the city’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity, integrate artwork into the development of the City’s capital infrastructure improvements, and to promote tourism and economic vitality. Managed by the Arts Council of Fort Worth with oversight of the Fort Worth Art Commission, FWPA strives for artistic excellence and meaningful community involvement. For more information, please visit www.fwpublicart.org.
Price
- FREE!
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