Ring of Water
Ann Gardner
2003
Glass mosaic, composite, concrete, steel, and terrazzo
Ring of Water ‘floats’ in the rotunda of the Courthouse Building, visible from the exterior of the building through windowpanes framed by large columns. The work surrounds visitors once they step through the main entrance, creating a contrast between the delicate ‘drops of water’ and the massive columns. 56 cables, each strung with 10 pods of ‘water’, hang from an 18’ ring. Each pod is covered with hand-cut and hand-placed blue/gray glass. Ring of Water also includes a terrazzo floor component. The terrazzo circles correspond to the drops of water, as if the hanging drops continued to fall, which again addresses the feeling in the whole space.
“When I designed Ring of Water, I was thinking about how the presence of water suggests a cooling down of the heat, both the literal summer heat in Atlanta and the figurative emotional heat that fills a courtroom…I want people to look at it and feel something, to stand inside or outside and let themselves react to it.” – Ann Gardner
Ann Gardner is a Seattle-based sculptor that largely creates works with mosaic surfaces of hand-cut pieces of glass. She often makes her own tesserae, selecting individual pieces for maximum effect. By using mosaic, her pieces develop interesting textures and complexity.
City Court of Atlanta
150 Garnett St. SW
Atlanta, GA 30303