Forest Light

Artist

George Peters

Year

1999

Location

Harmony Library

Description

A collaborative project with the City of Fort Collins, State Art in Public Places Program, and Front Range Community College, "Forest Light" consists of a group of eight silver branches arching and spanning the length of the entryway atrium. In amongst the branches are eight flying book forms constructed out of acrylic.

Artist's Statement

"Plato (427-347BC) compared the mind to an aviary; a vast enclosure for birds. Each bird is a thought. The mind tries to grasp at the flying birds, comprehending one at a time. A library is, in some ways, an aviary of human thinking. We can reach for one book at a time, grasp it's meaning and go on to the next. A grasp of the whole of human thought is a futile reach for a flock of collective understanding. The arching arbor of trees refers to the origins of human thought. There are connections between trees and the paper that our books are made from. The title refers to the enlightening aspect of the search for knowledge and understanding. Spiritual texts refer to the gardens of paradise and the gaining of knowledge. The sculpture is a glittering display of branches and reflective leaves with white "book birds" flying through."

Photos