Spirit of Camelback

Spirit of Camelback serves as an elegant focal point for the renovated performing arts center atrium. 135 hand-sculpted glass stems emerge from a curved wall, extending beyond the building to welcome visitors and engage passersby.

The forms reference the topographical ridges of Camelback Mountain, the organic shapes of cactus blooms on its slopes, and the glowing hues of a desert sunset. Light and color guide the eye through the sculpture, creating rhythm and movement within the space.

The work was inspired by Camelback Mountain. While exploring the Scottsdale and Phoenix area, I noticed the mountain was always visible, a constant landmark in the landscape. I decided to climb to its summit via a strenuous hiking course, gaining firsthand experience of its terrain, light, and colors, which informed the design.

Each stem functions like a fiber optic, channeling colored light from hidden illuminators behind the wall and dispersing it through the crackled glass crowns at the ends, while the clear portion of the stem remains nearly invisible. The colors carried through the stems shift slowly and subtly, guided by dichroic glass filters installed for each illuminator.

Lower-elevation stems evoke the deeper reds, pinks, and oranges of a desert sunset; mid-elevation stems carry lighter oranges and warm yellows; and the highest stems near the summit transition from pale yellow to bright white. The rotation of the filters is set at a slow two revolutions per minute, allowing viewers seated in the space to notice the gradual color changes, while the effect remains imperceptible to passersby.

This sculpture brings the energy and subtle dynamism of the local landscape into the heart of the atrium.