Public Art on WES Commuter Rail

Each station, including the Tigard Transit Center, features a sculptural table with 16 unique bronze heads that express a full range of human experience, from comedy to pathos.

Working in collaboration with project partners, TriMet continued its commitment to public art with WES Commuter Rail.

The project allocated $500,000 to fund the WES Public Art Program based on 1.5 percent of eligible project costs.

The Public Art Advisory Committee composed of representatives from every station area, selected artists Frank Boyden and Brad Rude to develop artwork for the stations.

Boyden and Rude created a series of five sculptures, called The Interactivators, for the five WES commuter rail stations. Each sculpture features moveable, cast-bronze heads and a vehicle mounted to a stainless-steel table. The heads, which appear in different guises at each of the stations, symbolize a wide range of emotions, traits and conditions. Like the cross section of humanity that may be found on any train car, these sculpted archetypes serve as a metaphor for the human experience. The bronze vehicles each carry a sculpted scene of an animal representative of the station area where they are located.

The figures and vehicles are attached to the tables in a way that allows them to move within “tracks” cut into the surface of the table. The sculptures, in addition to being unique works of art, offer a potential game that can be played by one person or an entire station full of people. There are no winners or losers, but rather opportunities for infinite encounters that can create social connection, offer insight or produce a simple moment of pleasure.

Other artwork includes a mural by Site Painters on the wall facing the WES platform at the Tigard Transit Station and a willow pattern etched in the windscreen glass at stations in Tualatin and Wilsonville.

Beaverton Transit Center

Frank Boyden and Brad Rude, The Beaverton Interactivator, 2008

Bronze and stainless steel

The Beaverton Interactivator sculptural heads with masks on a metal tableThe Beaverton Interactivator

The Beaverton Interactivator detail - 3 masks and a wahgonThe Beaverton Interactivator (detail)

The Beaverton Interactivator detail - 5 heads with masksThe Beaverton Interactivator (detail)

 

Hall/Nimbus Station

Frank Boyden and Brad Rude, The Hall/Nimbus Interactivator, 2008

Bronze and stainless steel

The Hall/Nimbus Interactivator sculptural heads and masks on a metal platformThe Hall/Nimbus Interactivator

The Hall/Nimbus Interactivator detail - 'cast of characters' text refers to the headsThe Hall/Nimbus Interactivator (detail)

The Hall/Nimbus Interactivator detail - with a wagin with frogs on itThe Hall/Nimbus Interactivator (detail)

 

Tigard Transit Center

Frank Boyden and Brad Rude, The Tigard Interactivator, 2008

Bronze and stainless steel

The Tigard Interactivator sculptural heads with masks on a metal tableThe Tigard Interactivator

The Tigard Interactivator detail - 5 heads with masks including blind justiceThe Tigard Interactivator (detail)

The Tigard Interactivator detail - abstract heads with masks one of which looks like a leather shoeThe Tigard Interactivator (detail)

 

Tualatin Transit Center

Frank Boyden and Brad Rude, The Tualatin Interactivator, 2008

Bronze and stainless steel

The Tualatin Interactivator sculptural heads with masks on a metal platformThe Tualatin Interactivator

The Tualatin Interactivator detail - 3 heads one of which is made of concentric circlesThe Tualatin Interactivator (detail)

The Tualatin Interactivator detail - with wagon and 4 headsThe Tualatin Interactivator (detail)

 

Wilsonville Station

Frank Boyden and Brad Rude, The Wilsonville Interactivator, 2008

Bronze and stainless steel

The Wilsonville Interactivator sculptural heads with masks on a metal tableThe Wilsonville Interactivator

The Wilsonville Interactivator detail - 4 heads one of which is upside downThe Wilsonville Interactivator (detail)

The Wilsonville Interactivator detail - one mask is a mirror with lipsThe Wilsonville Interactivator (detail)