Browse Public Art

Cloudsandclunkers

Peter Shelton

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

A sculptural installation pairs matching shapes and disparate materials.

Peter Shelton. cloudsandclunkers, 2003. Steel, fiberglass, and cast iron. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, SeaTac, WA. Photo: 4Culture

In the wedge-shaped transitional section of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s Concourse A between gates A9 and A10, Peter Shelton’s cloudsandclunkers presents identical shapes in contrasting materials. Fiberglass “clouds” hang from the skylights while cast iron “clunkers” sit on the stepped platform below, offering a mix of opposites: light and heavy, translucent and opaque, ethereal and earthbound.

The design of both the clouds and the clunkers derives from human, industrial and natural forms. Together they reflect the artist’s interest in how two sets of carbon copy patterns brought to life in different materials can have distinct associative qualities. As a sculptural installation, cloudsandclunkers responds to its architectural setting, creating an opportunity for pause in an otherwise busy place.
Continue Reading ›
Peter Shelton. cloudsandclunkers, 2003. Steel, fiberglass, and cast iron. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, SeaTac, WA. Photo: 4Culture
Peter Shelton. cloudsandclunkers, 2003. Steel, fiberglass, and cast iron. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, SeaTac, WA. Photo: 4Culture
 

About the Location

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

As a primary portal to the region, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport gives many visitors their first impressions of the Pacific Northwest and its culture. Sea-Tac began commissioning public artwork in 1968 and today the collection features integrated artworks, signature pieces by internationally and regionally known artists, and a temporary exhibition program. Its commissioned artworks and…

Read more about the art and artists at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. More >