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Weekly Art Hit: ‘Seven Figures’ by Paul Marioni and Ann Troutner

Marioni, Troutner PR89.001.02If you’ve taken advantage of Seattle’s beautiful summer days by taking a dip at Green Lake Community Center’s Evans Pool, you’ve seen Seven Figures (1989) by artists Ann Troutner and Paul Marioni on the north wall of the pool.

Evans Pool is one of the most heavily used public swimming pools in the city. Built in the 1930s, Seattle Parks and Recreation restored the community center in the ’80s and commissioned Troutner and Marioni to create the artwork. Seven Figures is a five‑by‑26‑foot glass window wall that depicts seven life‑size human figures swimming Marioni, Troutner PR89.001.05Marioni, Troutner PR89.001.03through water, with details such as fish, seashells, coins and buried treasure. Soft light filters through the translucent underwater scene, made of approximately 300 unique sand‑cast glass tiles. The “sky” in the window scene is made from special, tempered gray plate glass.

The public response to the window was so favorable that a second glass artwork was commissioned by the community to surround the front doorway of the community center building. Marioni and Troutner’s Portal artwork frames the main entrance and is made of rippled cast glass with an underlay of dichroic glass, which appears brilliant blue from a distance, then turns gold as the viewer approaches.

You can watch Seattle Channel’s video about artist Paul Marioni here.

Seven Figures was funded by Seattle Parks and Recreation 1% for Art funds.

-Tamara Gill, Community Development & Outreach

IMAGES: Paul Marioni and Ann Troutner; 1989; Seven Figures, Portal; cast‑glass blocks in aluminum frame; dichroic and cast glass in brass frame; 5′ x 26′ (Seven Figures); 8′ x 8 1/2′ (Portal). Located at Green Lake Community Center.

ArtsCulture_40yrs_Med[BlackBlue]Weekly Art Hit is featuring artworks every week from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the city’s public art program.