Curtain Wall

Curtain wall in architecture means a covering made of glass outside the building. These are used only to keep weather out of and people in the structure. The systems are designed to absorb sway from wind and support their own weight. I am attracted to the shimmer of color in these walls and how they allow natural light to enter the building. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument made of stone in England. It is thought to have purpose utilizing light as well. The stones are set to align towards sunrise on the summer solstice. It is also unique in that mortise and tenon joints were used in construction. Etymology of the name Stonehenge means “stones supported in the air” in writings from the first century of the 2nd millennium.


My series Curtain Wall is made of shapes like the stones in the ruins of Stonehenge but are stacked instead of vertically arranged. Panes of glass in a curtain wall are stacked in vertical grids. Visual shimmer in this work comes from pigmented beeswax paints which have a color shift when printed on black paper. These materials mimic play of natural light depending on time of day when used in a curtain wall for modern buildings.


Stonehenge also contains humans; bones have been dated to 3000 BC at the site in deposits. So, both a curtain wall and the monument contain humans. I know it is not realistic to think that stones can hang in the air, but it is entertaining to think so.