Wailuku Wings
Wailuku Wings — 94’ x 95’ x 33’, Steel, Automotive Paint, Polyurethane Panels
SMALL TOWN * BIG ART welcomes new partner Imua Discovery Garden to host a large-scale set of WINGS at their public property as a standalone sculpture that inspires potential, inclusion, inspiration and discovery. The final piece provides an interactive experience where young children can stand in front of the work and feel a sense of awe, empowerment and play as the moment is captured for an ongoing photo project.
Wailuku Wings is inspired by ʻōlelo noʻeau #1236: I mohala no ka Lehua i ke ke`eke`ehi `ia e ka ua. (Lehua blossoms unfold because the rains tread upon them. It is the rain that brings forth the lehua blossoms. So do gentle words bring forth much that is desired).
This sculpture is strongly grounded in advanced research into the íāo Valley and Wailuku town. While touring the island I observed the prevalence of water as a valuable resource, from the aqueduct in front of the Imua Discovery Garden to the drainage of íāo running through the center of town. Coming from the Arizona desert, I was struck by how similar Wailuku’s water concerns are to our own water issues. This observation combined with research into native butterfly species and butterfly wing mechanics inspired the design of the sculpture and the imagery seen in the wings.
The composition of the sculpture is based on the moment right before a butterfly takes off, the posture of preparation, expectation, and flight. To represent the concept of water as a mechanism for life and rebirth, concepts similarly represented by the butterfly, we chose arial photographs of the íāo Valley. The region’s landscape, canyons, and ridge lines tell the story of water on a geological scale. We distorted this geographic imagery with a color gradation referencing the Pulelehua butterfly. Superimposed on the arial layer is the dark pattern of the Kamehameha butterfly. Looking closer into the dark spotting, a traditional twill pattern used in weavings by Mike Nahoʻopiʻi is present.
This is an original artwork created with, owned and commissioned by Maui Public Art Corps, Small Town Big Art, County of Maui.
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