Creston Nelson Substation

Seattle, WA

2003

Seldom do we get to go back and redo a project- but in this case I did. In 1977, I was one of 3 artists commissioned to work on the Creston Nelson Substation for Seattle City Light. This was one of the first artist design team projects in the country.

We made a series of related artworks for the station, and I designed a woven pattern in the chain link fence, a series of cast aluminum light bulbs, and a bench/sculpture that was concrete and aluminum. I was never very happy with the sculpture- my ideas were more complicated than my fabricating abilities at that stage- I was only 22. So when, in 2003, the Seattle Arts Commission offered me a chance to revisit Creston, I was happy to do so. The aluminum parts from the original sculpture were recycled into a completely new sculpture for another City Light location- the Light Bulb Bench at the North Service Center, and in its place at Creston Nelson, I built these two sculptures. Based on my original light bulb iconography of 1978, but executed with the skills I have learned since then, one giant 12' tall light bulb was split in half to make 2 benches for the parklike grounds that surround the substation.

8' diameter, 12' tall, electropolished stainless steel.

Commissioned by the Seattle Arts Commission.

◀ Back to Public Art