RECLAIMED, 2016
Painted reclaimed rebar, steel armature, painted lines incised into concrete
Overall: 637 sq ft
Large: 8 ft h x 40 ft 3 in l x 12 ft 3 in d
Med: 6 ft 9 in h x 35 ft 5 in l x 7 ft 5 in d
Small: 3 ft 6 in h x 18 ft l x 6 ft 4 in d
Plaza at North Transfer Station, Seattle, WA
Commissioned with the Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Art fund
Administered by the Office of Arts & Culture, City of Seattle, WA
Jean Shin: Reclaimed
By referencing the topography of the site before 1966 when the first North Transfer Station was built, Reclaimed brings the memory of the landscape to the current Transfer Station plaza. The artwork expresses these natural forms through the use of industrial materials—10,000 linear feet of rebar that have been salvaged from this location during the demolition of the original transfer station building. Liberated from the architectural structure, the repurposed rebar creates the organic, linear contours of the previously existing land masses. The three colorful sculptures are also connected by an installation of orange lines on the pavement that delineate the various walking paths through the plaza. Reclaimed highlights the potential of waste material to be reimagined into a vibrant second life within the community, and echoes the sustainable principle of reuse at the transfer station. Through the work, the artist invites us to consider our impact on the environment both past, present and future.