Opened in the spring of 2022, Lechmere station has artwork located in the station’s three elevators and on its platform. The title of the platform art is Field Notes. Inspired by the landscape just beyond Lechmere Station, Field Notes takes its name from the practice of observation and reflection naturalists use to understand the world. By taking note — keeping records — of the migratory patterns of birds, the ebb and flow of the river and the cyclical rhythms of flowers and trees, we develop both knowledge and memory of a place and its inhabitants.
Four sets of double panels installed on the station platform present a series of vignettes featuring the flora and fauna found in North Point Park throughout the year. In the background of the panels are excerpts from the notebooks of William Brewster, a 19th century ornithologist whose spent his life studying the birds of Cambridge, Somerville, and the surrounding area.
The thee elevators bloom with lush vines, flora and flying birds, from the series Thicket. The rider is immersed on all four sides of the frit printed glass enclosure.
My interest in creating artwork that incorporates nature comes from a sensibility that is very much like Brewster’s. By paying attention to both wing and leaf, I get a clearer sense of my place in the world through a deeper understanding of who I am sharing it with.