Interview with an Artist: Kirsten Hassenfeld
Amazon, famously obsessed with its customers, is a master in curating the user experience. That mentality influenced the design of its HQ2 at Metropolitan Park in Arlington, VA, where a rich public art program engages the senses and sparks the curiosity of Amazonians and passersby alike. Hidden art pieces and grand installations permeate the site, creating moments of discovery and delight at every turn. Suspended above the Amazon Events Reception desk in the double-height lobby, a sculpture by Kirsten Hassenfeld composes recycled objects into a cascading ode to Arlington’s history. ZGF sat down with Kirsten to explore the making of “Cherry Smash”.
How did you get started as an artist?
“I’ve been an artist all my life, it was just a matter of finding what direction I was going to take it in. I got my bachelor’s degree in printmaking. Once I was in my graduate school program, I began expanding upon that work, incorporating mixed media and 3D elements. Over the past 25 years my work has evolved with the inclusion of found objects and recycled materials, and everything I do now is three-dimensional.”
How would you describe your artwork in three words?
“More with less. As I evolved as an artist, my growing concerns over the environment and waste kept me from being able to feel creative with new materials. I started gravitating more towards used objects that had already lived a life. I want to create a bountiful visual experience that is cleaning up the problem rather than contributing to it.”
What was the inspiration behind the piece?
“The client was really interested in having the artwork relate to the project site and greater DC area. While researching Arlington’s history, I discovered there was once a soda factory nearby that produced a beverage called “Cherry Smash” during the prohibition era. At the time, it was the second most popular soda in the country behind Coca-Cola. Then I thought about the iconic cherry blossom trees of DC and it all just fell into place. The piece combines the ideas of the artificiality of cherry flavoring and the ‘altered nature’ represented by hybridized cherry trees grown for their flowers rather than their fruit. If you look closely at the piece, you can even find one of the original soda dispensers used for Cherry Smash.”
Can you elaborate on the materials and objects used in the piece?
“Every element in “Cherry Smash” is comprised of upcycled material. I made trips throughout the Northeast scouring thrift stores, yard sales, and trash sites for radially symmetrical objects I would be able to drill a hole into. The piece includes buttons, bottle caps, beads, cups, vases, balls, baskets, vessels, toys, and more. I even developed these flower forms made of grocery bags and bottle caps that are emblematic of the cherry blossom inspiration. The pink and white colors further enforce the cherry themes. The sculpture is comprised of approximately 120 strands of linked elements.”
What do you hope people feel when they see “Cherry Smash”?
“I don’t think the kind of work I make can speak so specifically to people. I’m happy if viewers have a transporting experience that takes them out of the everyday. I hope the discovery of the objects within the piece can do that. I just want people to interact and come away enriched.”
Facts:
- The piece took approximately 6 months to complete
- The sculpture weighs an estimated 1000 pounds
- The piece is comprised of roughly 120 strands ranging from 8- to 20-feet long
- The artwork is 10 feet in diameter
See more of Kirsten’s work here: http://www.kirstenhassenfeld.com/
Learn more about Amazon's HQ2 at Metropolitan Park here: https://www.zgf.com/work/1847-amazon-jbg-smith-hq2-at-met-park
Interview with an Artist: Rob Ley
Amazon / Seneca Group, Amazon Visitor Landing
