The Confluence

The Confluence 2010
65″ x 108″ x 4″
Hand fired glass

The glass mural was designed by the artist and produced at Franz Mayer of Munich. There are two glass panels fused with the colored glass to the inside. The idea behind the work, The Confluence, is based on the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, in the St. Louis area. During the artist’s research she discovered that the Compass Plant, evident in the left panel was used to help explorers locate north because the plant always bends to the north. Lewis and Clark collected over 200 samples of plants. The circular portals pay homage to the rich history of ships and commerce in St. Louis. Inside each one is a rubbing of plants collected by the artist along the Confluence. The turbulent currents created by the joining of the rivers is represented by the 2 colors of blue washes that dominate the design.

The original artwork was a watercolor produced by the artist. The process photos were taken in Munich discussing how to translate the watercolor into a glass piece.

Commissioned by St Louis Lambert Airport, St Louis, MO