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Photo credit: Spike Mafford Photo credit: Joe Manfredini Photo credit: Spike Mafford Full Circle, 1993-1996 Harborview Medical Center Lobby floor, Seattle, WA (King County Arts Commission) - An 1800 sq. ft. terrazzo floor embedded with beads of the world, semi precious stones, mother of pearl, shell slices, coins of many countries. The golden cells, pools, are composed of etched travertine tiles filled, and stained with epoxy grout. Proverbs from distant cultures arc throughout the floor. From Lao Tzu "all things are in process, rising and returning, plants come to bloom but only to return to the root." From Haiti "Where there is water there is life". A Native American proverb "Sorrow shared is halved and joy shared is doubled." At the reception desk is a 9' diameter red sun, an eclipse, an after image of light. This is a "red giant" so called in physics as a young sun. The golden cells are of ancient mosaic patterns, photographed and manipulated to fit together--or not. The image of the small "white dwarf" of dying sun (in physics) becomes the nucleus of the cell. A single diatom (single celled creatures of the sea, providing the oxygen to the earth) floats within the cell. This is a reference to microscopic space as well as the Big Picture, Big Science. The atom, electron, the molecule are referenced throughout the floor. One cell is filled with diatoms, jewels of the sea. A twelve foot golden pool is composed of honeycomb, the hexagon was the shape that the bees determined could hold the most honey. Within the honeycomb is a page of prose, by Borges, twisting the truths of the simplicity of nature to the complexity of man, and vice versa through a study of Dante, and his Inferno. A 9' golden etching depicts the flight of the dragon flies, that once had a three foot wing span, flying from a Hindu image of the Creation Myth. The Elephants are compressing the earth, releasing gases, which appear to be our reality, filled with the civilized world. Here is a proverb, alchemical, juxtaposed within the medical institution. "All solid mater has a liquid core." The chambered nautilus, the most colorful 9' cell of terrazzo with inlays. It's relation in pre history is the ancient ammonite that grew to 9 feet in diameter. >> additional images