Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Mandy Greer. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

The Universe Awakens to the Child, 2011

Mandy Greer
(American, born 1973)

Location: Bow Lake Elementary, SeaTac

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist Mandy Greer's four, mixed media chandeliers The Universe Awakens to the Child represent the wonder and bounty of the natural world. This theme has inspired human cultures around the world and throughout time.

The artwork pairs the four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) with the four elements (air, fire, water, earth). Each chandelier portrays birds, trees, and plants selected from folk tales around the world. Greer was especially interested in birds because humans have always marveled at birds and their ability to visit both the earth and the sky. Greer chose bird varieties (swallows, tanagers, a woodpecker, bluebirds, cranes, and an owl) that are considered protectors and patrons of children. These birds also represent ideas that are important to children—such as play, independence, and the quest for knowledge.

Greer notes that "world mythology is full of comforters and guardians of children who care for them along their journey through childhood. This collection of hand-stitched plants and birds bloom at the threshold of the school, where children both enter into a nurturing world of learning and exit into the larger world to make their own way."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Highline School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Seattle-based multi-disciplinary artist Mandy Greer creates fiber-based installations, photographs, performance and film. Her work performs stories of the human experience, desire, and longing. She received a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The University of Georgia, Athens. She received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington, Seattle.