18 Sep Industrial Art & Design — PARAdbOXES
PLATFORMS, OCA’s outdoor art park located in the Nine Rails Creative District, is getting an aesthetic upgrade that will be revealed on October 2nd during Ogden’s First Friday Art Stroll. Once a vacant lot, PLATFORMS was adopted by our non-profit in 2016 as a community-oriented and accessible art space. Now with our renewed vision as Ogden Contemporary Arts, we’ve collaborated with local partners to create a fresh and exciting adaptation for this space. In addition to a new landscape design by IO LandArch that includes native plants, paths, and seating, PLATFORMS is now home to an interactive, light-based art installation titled, Paradboxes.
Paradboxes was designed and fabricated by Lauren and James Argo, co-founders of Industrial Art & Design. The installation features eight, 4’ x 4’ polycarbonate cubes each programmed with their own pulsating light sequence, with touch and motion sensors that respond to interactivity. The boxes appear to emerge from the ground in various glowing colors with transparent finishes; each shape was made from reclaimed outdoor composite material that is weather and tamper resistant. The sculptures exist in a dimly lit resting state that begins to glow brighter as it senses an approaching visitor or passerby, beckoning them through the installation with sequential lighting effects. Unique surface designs on each cube are inspired by paradoxes both ancient and contemporary, stimulating thought and conversation in addition to playful interactivity.
“Individually these sculptures represent elements of our local culture and highlight the beauty of simple geometric abstraction,” states the Argo’s. “Cumulatively they represent hierarchies in nature and the passing of time…Iconographic etchings and typography on these shapes bring the viewers attention to paradoxes present in our experiences as humans. The hard edges and vertices represent the knife’s edge between order and chaos… The goal is to artistically balance different points of view and illustrate that every good argument has truth and nothing is cut and dry.”
Industrial Art & Design creates unique solutions using state of the art technology and refined aesthetic sensibilities. Both graduates of the Savannah College of Art and Design, co-founders Lauren and James Argo play the part of designers, engineers, and artists when tackling projects that range from product innovation to custom lighting and furniture design. They are also the co-owners of the Argo House and active members of Ogden’s local art community.
“We drive by PLATFORMS every single day and always wanted to do something there, but in a different format,” says Lauren Argo. “So we did our best to come up with something that was feasible and reasonable, but also really cool. We wanted to push the boundaries – and technology definitely affords you that opportunity.”
Art Writer – Kelly Carper
Videography by Dylan Totaro
Photography by Cam McLeod
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