Some Public Art in the Central District: Jimi Hendrix Park and the Shadow Wall

Scott Murase with Murase Associates designed the recently completed Shadow Wall sculpture in the Jimi Hendrix Park. The same firm beautifully designed the whole park to loosely suggest a guitar.  

From the entrance at 2400 S Massachusetts Ave, the Hendrix signature on the wall leads us on a purple (now faded to blue) swirling path inscribed with the poetic words of two Hendrix songs “Angel” and “Little Wing.” The beautiful words remind us that Hendrix was a poet as well as an extraordinary musician.

The lyrics continue:

“She stayed with me just long enough to rescue me And she told me a story yesterday about the sweet love between the moon and the deep blue sea. And then she spread her wings high over me.

“She said she’s going to come back tomorrow and I said fly on my sweet angel, fly on through the sky. Fly on my sweet angel tomorrow I’m gonna be by your side. Sure enough this morning comes to me silver wing silhouette against a child’s sunrise And my angel, she said to me, today is the day for you to rise. Take my hand, your’re gonna be my man You’re gonna rise

And she took me high over yonder

And I said fly on my sweet angel Fly through the sky Fly on through the sky Fly on my sweet angel. Forever I will be on your side. ( 1967)

Here you see the original purple sent to me courtesy of Scott Murase.

Horizontal strips provide a succinct biography of Hendrix’s amazing life from humble beginnings in the Central District to world-wide fame.

For example one strip states: The original Jimi Hendrix Experience disbanded in June 1969. On August 18, 1969, Jimi’s new ensemble group Gypsy Sun and Rainbows headlined Woodstock Art and Music Fair in upstate New York, where Jimi delivered unforgettable rendition of “Star Spangled Banner.”

The path leads to the large red butterfly that hangs over the seating area, intended for performance and community gatherings.

A portrait of Jimi Hendrix dominates the newly installed Shadow Wall. From that focus it swirls out with a perforated steel curtain that creates vibrant shadows, including silhouette cut outs of the musician.

Appropriate to the incredibly innovative Hendrix, it transforms a static memorial sculpture into a vibrant space filled with rhythms  that echo and fold back on themselves as we walk through it. The patterns in the shadows suggest swelling music. Hendrix came from great poverty and emotional challenges in his youth, but his staggering musical talent on the guitar led him to world wide fame.