Chabre, Wayne. Connections. Bronze. 2002. 14 feet x 5.5 feet x 4 inches.
Multnomah County’s work spans both rural and urban areas, and is inclusive of industrial and business communities. On the urban panel, bridges are a central design element and refer to how the County “bridges” diverse communities, fostering cooperative action and successful societal functioning. The water element refers to the flow of commerce and arts in the community.
In the rural panel, the arterial roads are like capillaries in the circulatory system that supports urban life through agriculture that weave through the Columbia Gorge scenic preserve. Salmon are represented as the best known wild species in the network of environmental stewardship in which the County plays an important ongoing role. These panels also suggest Portland’s connection to the Pacific Rim through an oblique reference to the Asian scroll, highlighted especially in the rural composition, with its mountain, waterfalls, and Vista House at Crown Point.
I hope this artwork makes people smile as they enter the building to conduct business with the County.
Courtesy of Regional Arts & Culture Council Percent for Art Program. © the Artist.
Artist Credit: Wayne Chabre
Exhibition: Regional Arts & Culture Council Percent for Art Program