Fragments of Sky

Fragments of Sky was inspired by artist Larry Kirkland’s collection of historic celestial maps by Royal Astronomer John Flamsteed, most known for his 3,000-star catalog published in the early 1700s. Images from the maps were engraved into five blocks of carved Blues in the Night granite selected for its lively shimmering qualities. The work was created as a complement to Kirkland’s installation Wonder Wander (2010) in the adjacent South Center Park depicting eyes looking up towards the sky. As Kirkland states, “Since the beginning of humankind, people have looked into the night sky and tried to understand the stars, moon and other bodies in the cosmos. We wonder about them to understand our place in the universe.” While Fragments of Sky connects us to the heavens, benches throughout both installations are engraved with elements from land and sea to connect us to the natural world on earth.

Learn more about Larry Kirkland.