Art In Transit

​Richard C. Elliott

Ellensburg, WA

Tower of Light

Acrylic reflectors

2007

Recognized for his large-scale installations created by layering thousands of plastic industrial reflectors, Elliott transforms the Archdale elevator into a prismatic display of color, light, and motion. Tower of Light includes 36 individual compositions of reflector art mounted onto the elevator glass. Outside, the 30'-high spectrum of color and geometric design beckons riders approaching the elevator. Inside, natural light passing through the multicolored patterns simulates the visual effect of stained-glass.

Artist Bio​

Richard Elliott (1945-2008) was a strong proponent of enlivening communities with art and worked on many public art projects throughout his life. He created more than twenty installations using industrial reflectors as a painting medium, organizing them in symmetrical patterns that replicated those found in natures, which “have connected people to the living fabric of life since the dawn of time.” Apart from his public art commissions, Elliott exhibited his work in galleries and museums across the nation and won numerous awards, including American's for the Arts Recognition for Innovation in Public Art in 2008.