Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) today announced the installation of a new art exhibit on Concourse D titled “Ripple” by Nashville, Tennessee artist Herb Williams. A unique addition to the permanent ATL Airport Art collection, the exhibit features six large-scale sculptures composed of over 500,000 Crayola crayons. Williams spent more than two years creating the intricate installation.
The colorful set of sculptures depict different sets of animals— such as a bull with snakes, an octopus with rabbits, a turtle with a fox, a deer with birds, and a polar bear with a penguin. The sculptures are featured on ledges along one of the ascending escalators from the Plane Train level to Concourse D Centerpoint.
“Like the taste of a madeleine cookie in Proust, the smell of crayons doesn’t just recall childhood, it transports us there. Air travel too moves us through time and space and can connect us with people and places from the past,” said Senior Art Program Director Benjamin Austin. “We hope that passengers of all ages get to experience a little bit of this magic when they encounter ‘Ripple’ and travel through ATL.”
Mr. Williams’ artwork hold records with Ripley’s and Guinness and his sculptures have been placed in public arenas, such as children’s hospitals, corporate lobbies, museum walls, and the White House.
“Finding the extraordinary in the mundane fascinates me. The wild, natural world around us is full of moments that can completely mystify if we but put down our phones and patiently breathe, listen, and watch,” said Artist Herb Williams. “In this series of six sculptures, ‘Ripple,’ the simple act of passing through a body of water has deep and profound effects for the viewer, animals, and their smaller passengers.”
ATL Airport Art integrates art into the daily fabric of the Atlanta Airport for the benefit of passengers and employees. The program commissions site-specific artwork, produces and curates rotating exhibits, and manages performances and artist programming. With over 1,000 artworks in one of the largest public art sites in the Southeastern U.S., the award-winning ATL Art program celebrated 25 years in 2021.
Original article courtesy of Metro Atlanta CEO, published April 7, 2022.