Natural/Cultural Landscape of Tampa, Florida or the Curtis Hixon Park

1993 – 1995
Natural vegetation, concrete, steel, wood, and water
Tampa, Florida
7 acres

The environmental sculpture exposes the ancient, endangered vegetation that had long disappeared. Concrete pathways running through the park are in the shape of ancient trees indigenous to the Tampa area. The entrance to the park is a mural visualizing the transformation of the area over time from dunes, to warehouses, and eventually, skyscrapers. Throughout the park, there are islands of ancient landscapes representing the unique ecological niches of the Tampa region. The seating areas echo the ancient leaf patterns, the trash disposal containers are cast surfaces of the original. The entryway has four columns representing the Cardinal directions, each covered in ancient indigenous plants. The sculpture park becomes a reflection of the narrative environmental history of the city.