Joshua Green Fountain - Seattle, WA
N 47° 36.112 W 122° 20.218
10T E 549838 N 5272263
This abstract fountain sits next to the entryway/exitway to the Seattle Ferry Terminal at the waterfront in downtown Seattle, WA.
Waymark Code: WMG5J4
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 01/15/2013
Views: 3
People walking along the waterfront in downtown Seattle will notice a fountain that greets drivers entering or exiting the Seattle Ferry Terminal parking lot. This fountain was created by accomplished artist
George Tsutakawa in 1966. I could find no information as to what the meaning is behind the title of the fountain.
There's a wonderful writeup on Mr. Tsutakawa's life from HistoryLink.org and the following excerpts are taken from his bio:
Tsutakawa's fountains look as if they are shaped by the water itself. He explored the shapes falling water would take by holding spoons under faucets and making small models from sliced Ping-Pong balls. Some of his later fountains were dramatic departures of form. Giant stacked discs were perforated to release columns of dripping water like a slow Northwest rain.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Tsutakawa became the preeminent and unrivaled creator of fountains in the world, installing them in cities throughout the United States, and extending his reputation with works in Canada and in Japan. "For Tsutakawa, ultimately water stands in relation to humanity and to life as the great continuing cycle of all things," art historian Martha Kingsbury pointed out (Kingsbury).
Tsutakawa explained his fascination with fountains to interviewer Jane Estes in 1978:
"Our sense of continuity and rhythm is universal in water. Even in childhood I was interested in running water, in the recycling process of water. I remember Mark Tobey talking to me about the life cycle of the universe and the fact that water moves about endlessly in its various forms, vapor, ice drops forming in the clouds to be released into the rivers. This recycling always fascinated me" (Estes).
I also located a PDF document online that lists many of George Tsutakawa's fountains in and around Seattle here.
I personally find Mr. Tsutakawa's fountains both organic in nature as well as being somewhat futuristic, as in the type of architecture (often referred to as Googie architecture) that was very popular during the 50s and 60s. This period piece fits into that category well. There is also another bio on Mr. Tsutakawa's life on the University of Washington's website that can be read here. George Tsutakawa died in 1997.