‘Unbounded II’ spurs discussion in Lewes Canalfront Park
A meticulously organized pile of obsidian rocks is piquing the interest of many people strolling through Lewes Canalfront Park.
Created by New York-based abstract artist Rachel Mica Weiss, the piece called “Unbounded II” sits in the shadow of the Lightship Overfalls, a stone’s throw from the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal.
Unbounded was created for an interior space, so Weiss is interested to find out how it will be perceived in an outdoor setting in a place where natural landscape meets a man-made environment.
Weiss created the first piece in her Unbounded series in 2012 while attending graduate school.
“It’s always sort of functioned as this boundary for me,” she said. “The first version was this kind of wall that was installed in a closet. It was this vertical wall in this very domestic interior space that was like hiding or obstructing or camouflaging one’s interior life.”
When installing “Unbounded II” in Lewes April 17-18, Weiss and her assistant Emmet Ryan added about two feet to the top to make it about 6-feet tall.
“I really like that sense that this is a being that you could confront,” she said. “It helps create this sense of vulnerability if it’s your height or even towering over you.”
She said she hopes “Unbounded II” makes viewers reassess their own personal boundaries or limitations. She believes the piece feels precarious, almost like the rocks are gravity-defying, especially around the back where the walls are more vertical.
“There is this sort of vulnerability that I want to engender in people, which is what I hope people feel when they’re in conversation with the landscape,” she said. “It’s not like ‘This is my territory to control,’ but like ‘I am a vulnerable member, a speck of this Earth.’”
She understands not everyone will react that way, and she’s interested to hear how her work is perceived.
To create “Unbounded II,” she procured about 800 obsidian rocks from Colorado. The rocks are wrapped in rope Weiss dyes in her studio. Then, each rock is numbered and placed at a specific location on a wooden mold. The art piece weighs about 8,000 pounds when fully constructed.
Weiss’ work was selected by the Lewes Public Art Committee earlier this year. With the help of consultant Karin Bravin, the committee identified several potential artists before narrowing the list down and selecting Weiss. “Unbounded II” will be on display through Labor Day.
Committee Chairman Cliff Diver has spent a lot of time at the park while the piece was installed and since it’s been completed. He said the reactions are very diverse. Kids from the nearby playground are offering some of the more interesting interpretations, he said.
Diver plans to have a docent on site biweekly throughout the spring and summer to discuss the piece with passersby and those who come to the city specifically to view “Unbounded II.” The first docent session is planned for 4 p.m., Sunday, April 25. Check lewespublicarts.org or the Lewes Public Arts Facebook page for future planned discussions.
Installation did not go as smoothly as they had hoped, he said. Upon arrival, Weiss and her assistant learned they were unable to drive a vehicle to the site, so all rocks had to be manually carried. Ryan Peters of RISE Adventure + Fitness graciously volunteered to help Diver and committee member Barry Dunkin move the rocks.
Diver said the temporary art project could not have happened without the help of major donors, including the Farpath Foundation, Andrew Williams, Dennis and Becky Forney, and Barry Dunkin. Others provided smaller contributions. The City of Lewes provided the committee funding through its budget, and the Delaware Division of the Arts may provide additional financial support.
“This is an ongoing effort to increase artistic presence in town that spurs dialogue,” Diver said. “Bringing in people from outside the area benefits local artists, because they have more to learn about and can experience things they cannot experience just staying here in our area.”
