Artist's Statement: As a child, I remember exploring the creeks and fields in search of insects and wildlife. I have always been interested in nature and my art practice often examines society’s relationship to nature. In preparing to make this artwork, I visited the site where the garage would be built. At first glance, I didn’t see much beyond an empty field but upon closer inspection, I found beetles, butterflies, lizards, and many other creatures thriving in the area. My goal as an artist is always to instill an appreciation for nature and with this artwork, I wanted viewers to take some time to observe and look for nature.

The design for the parking garage was collaboration with the Dublin community. I asked the community to take a moment to observe nature from Dublin and the surrounding region and to submit ideas for animals and plants to include in the smaller dots that made up the larger imagery. The result is an image that is viewable from afar though up close, is more abstract. Within the dots are discoverable images of nature that the community helped inspire. This act of slowing down to notice nature that I experienced when I visited the site is echoed in ideas submitted by the community and the experience of seeing the design close up.

The parking garage is a place of movement. Even though the structure implies a stationary environment, people are always coming and going. I chose a flock of migratory birds to visualize movement in a natural form.

Photo of the artist by Ryan Moran.