"Undulated Inundation" by Anthony DiMari
"Undulated Inundation" by designer Anthony DiMari, a freestanding art installation at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum which reflects the perpetually evolving character and flood planes of the Connecticut River.
The installation is on display on the Grounds of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum. The project was initiated by a grant funded by the European Union and Five Colleges, Inc. called ‘Riverscaping,’ which sought to raise awareness of our communities’ history and relationship with the river. Thom Long, the Principal on the grant, oversaw the competition, awards and siting for the projects.
Riverscape is a term that has recently emerged to describe the most immediate landscapes that follow and flank rivers. Historically, this term was used to describe the physical earth around the river as a place impacted by and connected to the water–it refers to both represented landscapes and actual places.
The Connecticut River is constantly fluctuating: the color, the level, and the current all change over time. Hadley has recorded several flood plane changes over the last 100 years. These flood planes marked four distinct heights above sea level, and are reflected in the installation as poles of different heights.
"Undulated Inundation" references the flood planes as well as the fluctuation of the river. The reference of the ground plane – a gravel-filled base – along with the horizon sets up a contrast with the arrangement of the vertical steel poles. The undulating heights of the poles are further accentuated with photo-luminescent caps that provide a subtle glow during the night, powered by the solar energy they have accumulated over the course of the day. The installation will be up on the Museum grounds indefinitely.
The artist, Anthony DiMari, is a designer interested in dynamic patterns and land art, and received his Masters of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. DiMari has also published two design-related books that are focused on generative and iterative working methods: Operative Design: A Catalogue of Spatial Verbs and Conditional Design: an Introduction to Elemental Architecture. More information about the artist and his projects can be found at www.anthonydimari.com.