Library Sculpture

Caterpillar Boogie Woogie  developed from the Inland Northwest history of agricultural and mining and education’s place in residents’ experience. The round concrete base serves as the agrarian foundation, stained with a green stain to create a link to the natural surroundings of the region, and to the rich natural history of the inland Northwest. This base serves as the foundation and the source for the support of the piece, and the economy of the region.

A cast iron cap protects the top of the concrete from rain damage and wear. The casting is divided into four sections by repeating patterns emanating from the center of the cap. The four segments have waves, dogwood and cherry blossoms, fish and hand written text with schematic drawings in the segments. This cap has industrial links to the Spokane area.

Caterpillar Boogie Woogie

Spokane has provided an industrial manufacturing focus within the northern High plains on the intermountain west. Spokane’s industry serves the region boarded by The Dakotas and Wyoming to the east, Pendleton Oregon to the south, Calgary, Alberta to the north, and Ellensburg to the west. Before the introduction and construction of the interstate highways in the sixties and seventies, Spokane served as a source for materials, and services for the region. Due to the rail hub in Spokane, This region served as a transportation hub for the coastal areas and the northern plains to the east. This Iron cap was cast at one of the iron foundries in the Spokane Industrial Park. This foundry, New Castings, is a division of Travis Pattern, and casts specialty iron and steel alloys for clients worldwide.

The tower suggests the wind driven water wells used on the grazing land west and south of the Spokane area. The design was modified to eliminate the need to bolt together a number of pieces. The tower was hot dipped galvanized to provide weather protection, using the same process as the water towers, and the electrical service towers of the west and the Bonneville Power Authority. The perforation filling the openings in the tower attempts to prevent debris from collecting in the tower, and from people climbing on the tower.

The top of the tower has a yellow crescent with cast textured and facetted spheres with turbines. At the end of the crescent is a collection of three vane turbines.

The spheres represent individuals of the college, moving, and being launched in different directions by the college. Each has a different color, direction, and surface. Each of the spheres has ended at different distances from the supporting crescent. The crescent serves as the structure for the whole of the top. The crescent is the piece’s backbone, the institution itself. The screens attached to the crescent catch the wind blowing through the area. Some of the screens catch more than other screens, but in combination, the screens create patterns. These patterns are from the relationships developed between the screens. The patterns change, depending where you stand in relationship to the piece. These patterns are called More pattern. They have the quality of ephemeral lace made of light. The turbines at the end of the crescent move as reminders of the natural energy we still derive from the world around us.

Roger Ralston
2004