Ark Gates for Temple Shalom, Waterloo

Steel, dyes, handmade paper, lucite, brass
Computer design, water-jet cutting, collage
260 cm. high x 155 cm. wide (8'6" x 5')

The text from Jeremiah states that those who believe in God are resilient, even in tough times. A Tree of Life is an appropriate eccu-menical image for this sanctuary which shares its building with a church.

Within the tree shape are scans of actual leaves from the gingko in my front yard. God's spirit (represented by 12 rays) and 18 (chai) stars fill the sky and are reflected in the river.
The design, initially drafted in Adobe Illustrator, was cut from 16-guage steel, a process which took almost 30 hours. I painted the metal with aniline dyes and fastened them to acrylic panels overlaid with a collage of handmade Japanese paper. The light from inside the ark glows through this giant "paper cut."
Photos: Barry Jones

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