Route Map

2016 • Maintenance of Way Facility, Seattle, Washington

A group of 15 sculptures, each representing one station on the Link Light Rail line.

At the time I did this piece, there were only 15 stations. There are more, now.

A map is a drawing of the route, a single line running north to south.

This sculpture takes that line, abstracts it, and superimposes it on the landscape in front of the building.

Instead of an imaginary line, the route becomes a city of its own. The sculpture is a depiction of the route, but not a literal one-it is an imaginary version.

It’s a model of the city, the city as it might be. In the landscaping, it’s a model of a city, like one would find on a model railroad setup.

The stations vary in shape, and in height, although they are all roughly human scaled, and refer to classical garden follies in size and shape. Each station has different decorative elements, referring directly or subtly to the location of the station in the city.

Forged and fabricated stainless steel