Strength, Quality and Purity

Sculpture

Strength, Quality and Purity

1988-1990. sandstone, slate, coal, salt, stainless steel, acrylic, copper, argon tubing, mineral oil, glass, dichroic mirrors (40′ tall, x 6′ wide, x 10′ long)steel.

Strength, Quality, and Purity was commissioned by the United States Pharmacopeial Convention for their headquarters in Rockville MD. The title comes from the organization’s mission, which is to assess and guarantee the purity of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The sculptural image begins at the ground level with an assemblage that includes materials found in both chemicals and pharmaceuticals, like carbon and sodium, in their natural states as coal and salt. These elements are present in a more pure and quantified manner as they rise through the atrium space in a three dimensional grid.