GardenHappenings Happenings SUMMER 2020Garden SPRING 2019
DOZENS OF SOFTLY BLINKING LIGHTS PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H O K L A H O M A CO N T E M P O R A R Y B R I N G S P U B L I C A R T TO DO WNTO W N O K L A H O MA C IT Y WRITTEN BY
PHOTOS BY
Susan Grossman
Sean Ball
Softly blinking fireflies will grace the grounds of Myriad Botanical Gardens as part of a metro-wide public art experience celebrating the grand opening of Oklahoma Contemporary. Taking inspiration from the golden flashing light of fireflies on a warm summer night, Oklahoma artist Nathan Pratt has created more than two dozen mixed media fireflies. The installation taps into the innocence of childhood where the golden haze of a setting sun plays with the enchanting glow of fireflies.
Pratt has created hundreds of sculptures in numerous mediums during his career. For the Gardens fireflies, he assembled concentric metal tubes that were cut in varying lengths to resemble the gradient shape of the bug. The tail containing a lightbulb is acrylic. There are two sets of wings. One is water jet cut and the other solid metal, hammered into a curve to cover up the inner wing. A remote control will program the pulsating and intermittent flickers of the tails. Mounts will fit seamlessly into existing foliage in the Gardens and look as natural as their surroundings.
“There is a storybook aesthetic to these fireflies,” Pratt said. “The whimsical rendition communicates the idea of carefree characters that would be just as at home in a Pixar film as they would be in a wooded area.” The fireflies will be installed in the Meinders Garden and later move to the Oklahoma Prairie Garden where they will be on display through fall.
The Gardens is one of several recipients of a grant from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund to create public art in downtown Oklahoma City.
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