Purple People Bridge 2021-22
The Purple People Bridge spans the Ohio river between Cincinnati, Oh and Newport, Ky. The pedestrian bridge had to be closed for several months because of an unsafe instability on the Ohio side, leaving the loved connector closed and visitors and local residents unhappy.
After a temporary fix was put in place the bridge was set to reopen just in time for the installation of lights across the entire bridge for the annual “Winter Nights River Lights” event. To celebrate the reopening of the bridge, and to draw attention so that people realize that the bridge had reopened, I was hired to create an installation.
On the Kentucky side the focus was placed on the natural lines already created by bridge and its two paths and as you moving around the piece the yarn aligns with these existing elements. The curve of the overhead section was meant to give a contrast against the hard lines of the bridge’s structural elements while at the same time echoing the larger arches.
The Ohio side has a much longer approach to reach the actual bridge so seven existing banner poles and a leftover concrete pillar from a previous roadway were utilized near the roadway to draw traffic up to the bridge. The piece was created as separate flat planes fanning like a peacock and drawing attention with a final fringe pointing up the path to the bridge.
Kentucky Side:
To cut down on friction, a rigging method employing lengths of paracord and 8-hooks were used. Blood, sweat and tears went into this job.
Ohio Side:
While the Kentucky side came down after about 30 days, the Ohio side remains up and looking sharp more than three months after installation. As of Feb. 26, 2022 the installation remains and can be found here. Photos below are from mid-February 2022.
Renderings of both sides were made in preparation for the install.
Early renderings showing alternative color options. A total of four color options were presented for the installation on each side of the river: white, purple, green/yellow/orange fade, and a classic holiday-themed red/green combination to complement the holiday lights.
