Wayzata Pocket Park

This collection is the result of my visit to a “pocket park”  located in Wayzata, Minnesota, a short way from my home. As a photographer, I am curious about places that have a story, and I was intrigued by the story of this small park designed and created by the Iranian-American sculptor Siah Armajani. Armajani is internationally known for creating public art, which he said “should be neighborly” and “should enhance a given place”. What could be more neighborly than a small green space tucked between city buildings, filled with benches placed in shady spots?

 The Post Office Pocket Park is created in Armajani’s trademark postmodern style – spare and geometric – with blue-green iron bars as the structural elements of the inviting entryway and the many benches placed in perfect spots. Two large and colorful clay pots, reminiscent of those his mother used in her Iranian kitchen, are spots of color in the midst of leafy green trees and grasses. As is my habit, I sat quietly for a half hour or so, waiting to see what spoke to me, and then set out to capture my sense of the place. I focused on the spare geometry of the iron bars and the colors and curves of the pots, using Intentional Camera Movement and in-camera multiple exposure techniques to create images that put a little twist on Armajani’s style! Using these techniques and then taking the images into Lightroom and Photoshop enabled me to bring this morning in the park to life.