We're looking at a monumental sculpture by the Spanish artist Jaume Plensa
and the title of the piece is "Echo"
named after the Greek mountain nymph by the same name.
He came to the park in order to see the site and help us find
the ideal spot for an installation
and on a clear day you will see that "Echo" is looking directly at Mount Olympus.
I immediately asked the possibility that the face was --
that the head was facing the Mount
Olympus.
I guess it is a terrific coincidence
that I'm talking about the Greek mythology and we are in front of the Mount Olympus,
I guess is fantastic.
The sculpture is made of fiberglass with a marble coating
which gives it this incredible white sheen especially when the sun is right on it.
It took about six to eight weeks for the entire process.
There was a foundation laid, of course, that the metal structure put in,
and then panel by panel, the different segments of the sculpture were assembled,
from the bottom all the way to the top.
I'm working in a big scale because
they are inviting me in big places.
I suppose if one day I could work in a tiny room,
I could do a tiny piece.
And in that case, I guess the piece is not big, it's just in the right scale of the site.
And I'm extremely proud that finally
the permanent home for "Echo" will be Seattle
and I could not imagine a better spot for my piece forever.
The Olympic Sculpture Park shows us how
we can create a waterfront that welcomes everybody.
It's, for us, a fantastic new addition to the park.
First of all, because we don't have much figurative sculpture in the park at all,
and this work is really meant to function as a beacon
both for people, you know, traveling -
walking back and forth on the path
down here by the water,
but also for anyone who's approaching by water on a boat or ship,
you'll be able to see this sculpture and also have, then, a marker
for the Olympic Sculpture Park at the
same time.
And it is thanks to Barney Ebsworth that we have this incredible sculpture
now here at the Olympic Sculpture Park.
