Twelve

The idea for The Twelve began unexpectedly. While searching for a concept for a temporary sculpture on a large open sandy site in Cambridge, I happened to look out my window and noticed a row of Jersey barriers. They were purely functional and, to most eyes, quite unattractive. Yet their form was remarkably elegant in its efficiency—a narrow top rising from a broad base, using the least amount of material to achieve tremendous strength.

I found myself imagining those utilitarian shapes transformed by graceful curves and luminous color.

From that moment, The Twelve began to take shape. I designed three sculptural forms that echo the essential geometry of the barriers while softening them into flowing, organic silhouettes. They are arranged along a gentle arc, with spaces between them that invite people to sit, pause, and gather. Rising from each form are twelve slender poles that support illuminated Light Forms, extending the sculpture upward into space. Bringing the work to life was a true family collaboration. My son Christopher and my husband David, both mechanical designers, helped translate my drawings into technical plans for fabrication. Christopher also oversaw the fabrication of the three steel forms.

During this time, Christopher had been exploring traditional Japanese patinas and developed a palette of beautiful colors for the sculpture. Before the patinas were applied, we hand-textured every surface of the steel, taking turns with hammers and tools until the forms carried the marks of our hands as well as our ideas.

David and Christopher also helped install The Twelve at its temporary site in Cambridge and later at its permanent home at the Hampton Inn in Lewiston, working alongside a generous crew of friends.

The Twelve marks an important turning point in my work. It is the first sculpture in which I intentionally incorporated seating, inviting people not simply to observe the sculpture, but to enter it, rest within it, and become part of its presence.