Something Real

Civic Center, Wylie, TX | 2010

This is an example of a piece that is about the nature and history of the town in which the project is located. It also serves as a way finding device pointing visitors to the Civic Center Complex entries. It consists of seven stone columns for City of Wylie TX new civic center complex. They range in height from 14’ to 17’, and span 380’. This piece’s central theme is the history of the City of Wylie Texas. Each stone has a quote from different long time residents some going back to the 1850s. The words speak directly us directly from the past. There is no narrator or history text to get in the way.

The Text

Stone 1:

Our only concern was with the earth, the sky and wonder of being alive.

Stone 2:

plus the stream there held real trout

Stone 3:

playing on their guitars while waiting for a cool breeze on the front porch of the old white house

Stone 4:

Water had to be drawn out of a 35 foot well in the yard

Stone 5:

the washing on a rubbing board, building a fire around the wash pot in the yard, drawing the water out of the well, making lye soap and ironing the clothes

Stone 6:

she just worked and sang

Stone 7:

We grew up on work and it was good for us.