A Project of the Tucson Pima Arts Council

Saguaro Arch
by Donovan & Billimack
Sponsor: The Buffalo Exchange
Nonprofit: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Design by Simon Donovan, fabrication by Jesse Billimack.

Our primary interest is the landscape. Our objective as an artist team has been to extrapolate features from our surrounding landscape and make challenging art through references to those immediate surroundings. In each of our proposed projects we are highlighting different landscape elements both formally and conceptually.

Saguaro Arch derives its inspiration from the structure of the saguaro cactus. We are interested in how this native plant skin can be superimposed over different armatures to activate space and redefine the presence of this prominent plant. By creating the arch structure we allow the viewer the option of viewing internally as well as externally. This piece echoes the saguaro's strength and rigidity by utilizing plasma cut steel for an outer skin. Just as the thorns of the saguaro protrude out into the environment we intend for our lit thorns to cast out into the world as well.

It is a response to the Southern Arizona environment & culture. The saguaro cactus and the traditional tin Mexican luminarias inspire this design solution. It is a minimalist means of giving the structure both decorative embellishment and meaning. By folding laser –cut steel in an accordion-like manner, a “skin” can be applied to any column form and become a freestanding architectural element. In the daylight the cut recesses become “thorns” and as a dramatic nighttime presence, lighted from within, the forms become luminarias. The intent of the arch is stand as a strong, yet elegant visual statement.