BOISE, Idaho — The "Pale Blue Dot" sculpture on the north side of the 5th and Front parking garage in Boise is art that is on display for pedestrians and drivers.
According to the Capitol City Development Corp (CCDC); "the concept was inspired by the metaphor of the watering hole, and its role as a central gathering point for life. The work further alludes to the natural hot springs of Idaho and of earth itself viewed from space."
John Yarnell, the lead artist and creative director for Boise-based art firm Studio Capacitor said, that for him, the sculpture is about connection.
In The 208, Brian Holmes said that Yarnell's idea was inspired by Carl Sagan and the view of earth from the Voyager Space Probe.
"Visualizing it from a distance, seeing how insignificant we are as human beings on this planet, and that resonated with me deeply when I was thinking about this piece, this need for connection between human beings," Yarnell said.
It took more than two years for the artist and his staff to put it together and just two days for them to place the piece on the side of the parking garage.
"It’s designed in a way that when you look up at it, it feels like that is the plane of the earth at that point where you just see blue sky behind you," Yarnell said, "you feel like you’re on some desert plane and there’s an oasis in the middle of it and these people are migrating towards it for some reason. Each figure inches closer to the watering hole drawn by the shared human need for connection and safety."
Additionally, Yarnell said the color blue was used for the figures because people are all about 60% water.
"'Pale Blue Dot explores an idealistic world in which humanity comes together and agrees to set aside personal differences to share earth’s precious resources," Yarnell said. "We just need to remember that is something that binds us together and stop focusing on the things, the small things, that divide us is what this is about."
Yarnell said it's not just about from where you view the piece, but also what time of day, depending on the shadows. The perspective can change the experience.
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