Neighborhood Convergence
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Jeremy Hamm
Neighborhood Convergence consists of eight, 1 ¼ life-size steel figures that represent the diversity of local citizenry and visitors to Emeryville. The eight figures consist of a boy and his dog, a bicycle policeman, a man in a wheelchair, a jogger, a painter, a tourist couple, a father and daughter, and two women holding an Emeryville sign. Each figure is welded to steel that is set in a sub-grade concrete foundation and braced in back. The figures enliven a previously bleak space where a major street passes under the freeway. They are large and colorful enough to be enjoyed by passing cars, but also intricate and personal enough to be appreciated up-close by pedestrians. The artists also painted the back abutment walls of the underpass to mimic the atmosphere of sky and water. At night, the figures are illuminated by fixed spotlights. The colorful figures become even more vivid when the daytime appearance and the large silhouettes of the figures are formed against the back abutment walls.