Public Art

Ultragate

By James Woodfill
Category: Miscellaneous

About

The Ultragate installation contains 10 “scrim” structures stretching across the span above the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge roadway. Each of these structures are approximately 22 feet in length by 30 inches tall. Four of them have additional triangle elements that extend approximately 14 feet down the side. The remainder have an accompanying “jacket” that extends about 15 feet down the adjacent truss structure. In addition to the “scrims” there are approximately 100 “truss jackets” ranging in size from 30 inches to 45 inches in length and wrapping around various trusses along the length of the bridge. The resulting dashed lines along the trusses range in length from 15 to 50 feet.

“The installation was inspired by the experience of walking the Bridge site,” said Woodfill. “The structure seems dense in the distance, and as you move through it, the steel trusses slowly spread out into a light skeletal framework. With the massive structure overhead, the experience feels like a slowly decompressing gateway across the river.”

Dimensions: 30″ x 22′
Year Completed: 2006
Material: Fabric
Owner: Trailnet
Donor: Funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Missouri Department of Transportation.


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