Water Pylons

Capitol Riverfront, SE Washington, DC

Water Pylons is a painted and lighted artistic enhancement for the New Jersey Avenue, SE underpass in Washington, DC. Together, RKW and the Architectural design team REFORM explored a two part concept for the underpass and are currently implementing this portion of the plan. The Water Pylons concept will transform the underpass environment into a modern representation of water that creates a gateway to the Capitol Riverfront community. The freeway support columns are painted varying shades of blue to abstractly reference the neighborhood’s waterfront. The bright, reflective blue paints will create a cleaner, brighter, and more visually appealing underpass environment that is distinct and surprising. In addition LED overhead will add illumination and reflections of the art, especially after dark.

This project is being funded in part by the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District along with a matching public arts grant from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Perkins + Will Architecture

Washington, DC

"Open, a crowd, a crowd formed", one of RKW’s extra large, two-dimensional originals, is now on display in the lobby of the Washington DC based architecture firm Perkins + Will.

RKW often creates large format original works of art that are perfect for a corporate reception area, commercial lobby space, residential entrance area or any setting with large display areas. RKW has been commissioned to create several custom installations in the past and welcomes future opportunities that involve activating large public spaces.

Gold & Green Field

400 17th Street, NW Washington, DC

This light-integrated installation was developed for the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District in Washington, DC to temporarily enhance a new green space roadway median being installed in segments. The artwork needed to be easily relocated while enhancing the environment, day and night.

"Gold & Green Field" creates a swath of color within the median abstractly referencing a field of grass. Inserted into the field are large flower like elements (think dandelions) adding more drama to the environment. Collectively the elements in this approach will help bridge the transition from hardscape to landscape and foreshadow the new plantings to come.

This installation is comprised of similar, individual pieces to provide maximum flexibility for re-installations. The field is formed from a mass of individual LED lit translucent acrylic color blades inserted into the planter boxes at varying heights. The large flower is sculpted out of aluminum with LED light nodes at each end point.

Shimmering Gold

839 17th St., NW, Washington, DC

This site-specific public art concept was submitted to the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District in Washington, DC for a location along one of DC’s busiest streets. RKW partnered with the Architectural design team REFORM, to develop a concept that challenged the public art boundaries currently established in this region. We intentionally avoided the obvious applications of flat, two-dimensional artwork typical to street level building facades. Instead we developed a more dynamic, three-dimensional option that activates the space and allows the viewer to interact with from a variety of positions.

Through a combination of angled aluminum pieces, applied colors and lighting "Shimmering Gold" provides the viewer with a continual flicker of gold colors, day or night. The shimmer affect is achieved by grouping a series of illuminated angled surfaces that have each been painted variations of gold colors. This form combined with the movement and position of the viewer creates numerous individual experiences unlike any anything else in the area.

Some New Color

400 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC

With Some New Color, RKW combined the philosophies of the Washington Color School with his experimental use of new mediums and techniques, hoping to encourage a sense of local pride and to inspire more local artists to continue producing and exploring the boundaries of art. “I don't necessarily consider myself a Color Field Artist, but my inspiration embodies much of what those artists did more than 40 years ago, with a heightened sense of awareness and a contemporary approach.”

Mistakenly labeled as a transient fine art city, Washington, DC has played a significant role in the history of Art. Through the 60s and 70s a group of artists known as The Washington Color School were creating mixed media and painted abstract works of art, central to the larger Color Field movement. Color Field Art is a subtype of Abstract Expressionism where artists became interested in the effects that large expanses of color had on the atmosphere and mood of the work. This work was generally large, and conveyed a sense of infinity, and being immersed in an environment of color.

Metropolitan Branch Trail - Wayfinding

Metro Washington, DC

DCCAH in collaboration with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) awarded RKW a public art grant to develop an artist-created identity to visually unify the environment along the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT). RKW created a comprehensive identity that includes: logo and graphics; signage; wayfinding plan; public art master plan; and public art concepts. Together, the components of this identity will encourage the public to utilize and navigate the 8 plus miles of the trail system.

These wayfinding elements work to identify the trail and visually connect sections when the environment and terrain changes. The trail was broken into segments and zones were established to identify communities along the way. Location specific icons are used to identify the neighborhoods and educate about amenities along the trail. Web enabled wayfinding options were also explored to assist users remotely from the trail. Materials and installation methods are standard and flexible for the diverse site conditions and limited budget.

Metropolitan Branch Trail- Public Art

Metro Washington, DC

DCCAH in collaboration with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) awarded RKW a public art grant to develop an artist-created identity to visually unify the environment along the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT). RKW created a comprehensive identity that includes: logo and graphics; signage; wayfinding plan; public art master plan; and public art concepts. Together, the components of this identity will encourage the public to utilize and navigate the 8 plus miles of the trail system.

These proposed public art installations demonstrate how elements from the graphic identity and wayfinding signage will be used to create unique stopping places or visual identifiers along the trail. Such applications help unify the lengthy trail by visually relating without seeming repetitive.

H Street Playhouse

1365 H Street, NE, Washington, DC

This public art project was awarded by the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities as part of their Art in Public Places, Expressive Storefront Signage initiative. Completed 2003.