SAME SUN
The sun connects us all in a shared dependence on its warmth and energy. To transform a 4 million gallon municipal water tank for the City of Davis, we designed a multimedia installation that invites the sun to play an active role.
We spent 6 months creating a 14,000 square foot abstract painting that reflects the colors and textures of the surrounding fields. Each 5” x 5” section of our design was translated into a 32’ x 32’ area of painting on the tank.
Spending every day outside from June through November gifted us the opportunity to intimately experience the summer turn to fall. In the summer heat we followed the shade around the tank as we painted. By November we were chilled and seeking the sun, eager to add the final visual element - painted lettering of an incomplete Latin phrase.
Once the painting was complete, three Corten steel sculptures containing letters were installed along the top of the tank, casting shadows onto the painting below. The letter shadows shift and change throughout the year, coming into alignment on the summer solstice to reveal the complete phrase: Sol Omnibus Lucet, Latin for The Sun Shines Upon Us All.
Science and art are sisters. Same Sun merges the two in an evolving, mysterious, and earthy landmark that reminds passersby of our interconnection.
