Public Art Installations by C.W Quigley
At the heart of the Ephemeral Series lies a bold meditation on impermanence, transformation, and the natural forces that shape our world. These public art installations—Ephemeral Monolith, Ephemeral Man, and Ephemeral Animal—are not static sculptures, but dynamic, evolving expressions of life’s fleeting beauty and the inevitable erosion that time, nature, and circumstance impose on everything.
We live in a world where permanence is an illusion. The structures we build, the identities we wear, the bonds we forge—all are subject to time’s relentless march. The Ephemeral Series reflects this universal truth through art that embraces change, creating something new out of dissolution.
I create monumental public art that evolves in real time, dissolving and reshaping itself through the interaction of natural forces. Each piece in the Ephemeral Series becomes a living artwork, engaging the viewer not just in a moment, but over time, as it erodes, transforms, and ultimately takes on a new form. The Ephemeral Series celebrates the beauty in decay and invites viewers to reflect on the impermanence of life, culture, and the world around us.
Core Beliefs:
Impermanence as Power: I believe that the true essence of life and art is change. By embracing the transient nature of existence, wI want to help unlock the deeper, more powerful stories that emerge through time’s natural processes.
Art in Motion: My installations are not static. They evolve, responding to their environments, weather, and the passage of time. I want the viewer to see this erosion not as loss, but as an ongoing conversation between creation and destruction, life and death.
Authentic Connection: Each piece in the Ephemeral Series is deeply personal, drawn from my own experiences and identity. By representing what is true to all of us, I invite others to find their own meaning in the work, sparking personal and emotional connections with the art.
Human Experience: Whether represented by monumental structures, the human form, or the animals that have journeyed with us throughout history, my art reflects the shared experience of humanity. These works explore the fragility, strength, and interconnectedness that define us all.
The Series:
Ephemeral Monolith is a towering symbol of human achievement and civilization, designed to erode and collapse over time, showing that even the most monumental of structures are subject to the forces of nature and change.
Ephemeral Man reflects the human condition, rendered as a human figure that dissolves slowly, representing the vulnerability and impermanence of life itself. The choice of a male figure is a personal one, drawn from my own identity and experience, while abstracting the human form to speak to our shared fragility.
Ephemeral Animal honors the deep connection between humans and the natural world, symbolized by the horse—one of the first work animals used for development and warfare. This piece speaks to the endurance of these creatures and the bond they share with us, while also recognizing that time erodes even the most powerful relationships.
Through these installations, I aim to evoke a sense of awe, contemplation, and reverence for the forces of nature and time. I believe that by confronting the inevitability of decay, we can better appreciate the fleeting beauty of life and all it encompasses. The Ephemeral Series is a living reminder that everything humans create—be it art, society, or relationships—exists within the context of constant transformation.
Commitment:
To create art that challenges conventional notions of permanence, inviting the public to engage with the work as it changes and dissolves.
To foster a deeper connection between humanity, nature, and the inevitable passage of time.
To inspire reflection on the beauty of erosion, transformation, and rebirth in all aspects of life.
The Ephemeral Series is more than public art—it is a dynamic, evolving dialogue about the nature of existence. Each piece tells a story of transformation, reminding us that the most powerful structures and relationships are not those that last forever, but those that change, evolve, and leave an indelible mark on the world, even as they disappear.
EPHEMERAL MONOLITH
6m pole and platform
216 1m cubes of various minerals and salt
Ephemeral Monolith represents a pivotal moment in my artistic development, as it is my first major public art project that I am both conceptualizing and executing as collaborative effort with engineers, fabricators, lighting design and mineral fabrication. After years of fabricating large-scale installations for other artists, this project allows me to fully express my own creative vision. It challenges me to merge the technical skills I’ve honed over my career with deeper conceptual exploration, marking a transition from being a fabricator to a creator in my own right.
One of the key artistic risks I am taking with Ephemeral Monolith is embracing unpredictability. While much of the previous work I have been involved in were in controlled environments and with controlled materials, this piece is designed to evolve and decay over time. By using minerals like salt and gypsum that will erode through exposure to the elements, I am allowing nature to play an active role in the artwork. This relinquishment of control over the final form of the piece is both exciting and challenging. The sculpture will change in unpredictable ways, transforming in response to its environment and the passage of time, making each iteration unique. This dynamic interaction between art and nature is a new area of exploration for me.
Ephemeral Monolith also pushes the boundaries of public art by focusing on the themes of impermanence and decay. While most public art is designed to be permanent, this piece actively embraces erosion and change. This exploration of entropy and transformation adds a new layer of meaning to my work, as it becomes a metaphor for the natural cycle of life, death, and renewal. The decaying materials will create new patterns and formations as they erode, providing an evolving visual experience for the audience. This approach challenges traditional notions of durability and longevity in public art and advances artistic practice by celebrating the beauty found in decay.
Incorporating innovative materials and lighting also advances the project beyond traditional sculpture. The use of decaying minerals like salt and gypsum presents unique technical challenges, requiring collaboration with fabricators and engineers to ensure structural stability while allowing for the natural erosion of the materials. Additionally, motion-activated lighting will interact with the piece, highlighting eroded areas and evolving formations. This lighting design enhances the sculpture’s message, as the light itself becomes a symbol of transformation, casting shadows and emphasizing the continual change of the piece.
The project encourages collaboration across disciplines, including material fabrication, engineering, and lighting design, pushing my practice into new territories. By working with experts in different fields, I aim to bring together technical innovation and conceptual depth, contributing to the broader conversation in public art.
Ephemeral Monolith will not only develop my personal artistic journey but also explore new possibilities for public art—art that is alive, evolving, and shaped by its environment. It challenges both myself and the audience to reflect on the nature of time, change, and the impermanence of all thing
EPHEMERAL MAN
6-10m rebar sculpture
mineral blocks
Ephemeral Man is a 6-meter-tall sculpture filled with the same mineral blocks used in Ephemeral Monolith, and like its predecessor, it will dissolve over time, creating new structures and forms as the materials erode and reshape themselves. The work serves as a meditation on the transient nature of human existence and the inevitable transformation that time, external forces, and the elements bring about. As the minerals dissolve, new forms will emerge, symbolizing the continuous evolution of life and the process of decay leading to the birth of something new.
The figure itself is a minimalist representation of the human form. It lacks appendages, breasts, or genitalia—elements typically used to denote gender. These features are irrelevant to the sculpture’s message and design , just as in the natural world, they are among the first parts of the body to disintegrate after death. In this way, the piece intentionally abstracts the idea of physical identity, focusing instead on the larger concept of human experience as a shared, ephemeral journey.
As for the choice to depict a “male” figure, this decision stems from a place of personal experience. As a gay man who has been out since my early teens, I chose to create what I know, and what I can emotionally and personally connect with. The figure's gender is not meant to be a statement in itself, but rather a reflection of my identity and the emotions I can authentically express through the piece. While I considered creating a male and female holding hands as they exit an ocean, I realized that the heteronormative nature of that representation would not be truthful to my experience. I do not know the heteronormative narrative, and representing it in Ephemeral Man would feel disingenuous.
Ultimately, the piece is not about gender but about the broader human condition—the beauty in our fragility, the inevitability of change, and the transient nature of life. It is a physical manifestation of our impermanence, dissolving over time just as we do, leaving behind traces and structures that speak to the complexity of our existence.
EPHEMERAL ANIMAL
6-8 m iron rebar sculpture
Mineral blocks
Ephemeral Animal builds on the themes of impermanence and transformation found in the other works, but with a focus on the profound relationship between humans and one of the most significant animals in our history—the horse. Chosen for its symbolic strength and resilience, the horse has been a central figure in human development, not only in transportation and agriculture but also in warfare, dating back to the dawn of time.
The horse stands as a powerful emblem of endurance, loyalty, and service. Throughout history, they have carried us into battle, been our companions in times of peace, and have played an instrumental role in the shaping of civilization. Ephemeral Animal pays homage to these creatures, reflecting on both their contribution to our advancement and the love and reverence humans have held for them. Despite their incredible strength, horses, like all things, are subject to time’s relentless passage.
The sculpture, like the others in this series, is composed of mineral blocks that will slowly erode under the influence of natural forces. As the horse dissolves, it reminds us of the impermanence of even the most powerful bonds. The figure itself is not anatomically intricate, as it is not intended to be a realistic representation, but rather an abstract embodiment of the horse’s essence—strength, endurance, and the shared history between human and animal.
Ephemeral Animal is a reflection on the complex role horses have played in human life—from peaceful labor to the tragedies of war. As the form erodes over time, it speaks to the transient nature of power, the fleetingness of war, and the inevitable return of all things to the earth. It is a reminder that no matter how integral or powerful something is, it will one day be subject to time and decay, leaving behind traces of what once was, but ultimately evolving into something new.
