Urban Silos

Urban Silos was part of the Arts Council of Indianpolis’ Great Ideas Competition.

“Urban Silos sprung from childhood memories of lying on the ground looking at the sky and asking questions like: Why is the sky blue? What are the clouds made of? Most adults stopped looking at the sky in that way a long time ago. I wanted to find a way to recapture that experience and share it with others. The project consists of two towers shaped to resemble grain silos. One is 28′ tall while the other rises to a height of 20′. Two benches/lounges are placed under each silo. When laying on one of these the viewer is forced to look straight up through the silo, which has an opening at the top. The inside of the silo is lined with reflective aluminum. This reflective lining forces the eye to focus solely on the sky they see through the opening at the top. Without any outside visual reference the space between the top of the silo and the sky is non-existent. The color is very intense and feels very close to the outside surface. A more dramatic show occurs during dawn and dusk when the viewer can watch as the circle of color changes hue relatively quickly. The goal is to give the viewer a brief reprieve from reality, to allow a loss of time and spatial relationships to occur and perhaps even trigger a memory of what it was like to be a child.”

The location of this project also plays an important role in its success. Jeff has chosen a space adjacent to the Indiana State Fairgrounds and right along the Monon Trail at 38th and Watson Rd. The Monon Trail, of course, is a popular city Greenway that once was a prominent railroad line transporting many things including grain and livestock to and through Indianapolis. Locating this project adjacent to the old rail line helps to emphasize the agricultural history of the State as well as speaks to the role that the railroad played in that development.