Thanks to the conservation efforts of leaders such as Lady Bird Johnson and institutions such as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, we can experience the magic of the Texas hillsides blanketed in ever-changing color and plant life. Blues become yellows, shifting again into greens and browns, creating a color wheel of nature that poetically marks the passage of time in Texas.
The Bloom modules allow us to explore the interplay of color within a field of flowers and how color is perceived and can be altered in juxtaposition to another. The Bloom Boxes are designed as a pixelated interpretation of this magical carpeted landscape. Children and adults activate this landscape like tiny creatures navigating through a field. Visitors will be immersed in a shifting color field as they progress from one box to another.
The modules are painted in a spectrum of vibrant colors to represent the seasonal wildflowers commonly found in Texas. These colors are enhanced in the evenings with solar-powered RGB strip lights integrated into the edges of the modules creating a beacon inviting children to play and explore. Each module was designed with an angled slotted panel that serves as; a ladder, skylight, or window depending on the module’s orientation. When each module is combined with the others, infinite play opportunities and color juxtapositions are created. The Bloom Boxes fort can be moved and reorganized in multiple ways so that this fort can be located for a second life in different locations.
We have designed Bloom Box Fort to be observed on all sides so that one can see the full-color range of Texas as the fort is experienced in the round. We located the installation in the field at site 5, allowing varying viewpoints as one circulates the path. This also allows Bloom Boxes to be perceived from a greater distance, enhancing the play of colors as if seeing a field of flowers at a great distance.
The Bloom Boxes are also a reminder to us all that only through conservation will our future generations be able to experience all that the Texas landscape has to offer.
Location: Austin, Texas
Completed: Fall 2023