Aguas Onduladas

“Aguas Onduladas” (Rippling Waters) by Iowa based artist team RDG Dahlquist Art Studio, David Dahlquist and Matt Niebuhr, is comprised of three cut stainless steel waves that follow the serpentine sidewalk inside the traffic triangle adjacent to the park. All three waves gently slope from north to south pointing to the entrance of Elmendorf Lake Park.

The artist team took their inspiration directly from the lake’s natural beauty. The pattern cut into the metal reflects the rippling water and is slightly offset from front to back giving an illusion of moving water as you walk or drive by the sculptures. The stainless steel finish provides reflections as if you were looking into water.

At night the lit sculptures provide a soft amber glow referencing the pierced metal lanterns found on the Westside. The artist team RDG Dahlquist Art Studio collaborated with State Poet Laureate and native West-Sider Carmen Tafolla to incorporate poetry excerpts from two poems “River Music” and “Cada Sueño”. The two excerpts were incorporated into the rippling water pattern allowing the poetry to be read by pedestrians as they walk through the sculptures to or from the park.