Beauty in Becoming is a series of five sculptures by artist Lynné Bowman Cravens that together show the progression of folding an origami Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. The artist focused solely on the folded forms, distilled down to basic formal elements. Each stage of an origami pattern is its own abstract geometric form: though they do not resemble the final creation, there is beauty and potential in these interim stages which was the basis for this artwork.
Cravens was inspired by the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers she saw on an early visit to the site: it’s habitat is specific to Texas, Oklahoma, parts of other southern states and Mexico and the species can readily be found along the Trinity River during spring and summer. Known as the Texas Bird of Paradise, the artwork uniquely ties itself to the site and overall region.
The five steps portrayed in creating the final origami form are representative of meditative spots in the folding process where one can pause and contemplate the next set of instructions. The white-painted aluminum sculptures create harmonious contrast within their surroundings while accentuating the creases and folds in each form. The artwork adds to the aesthetic of the area, highly visible to passersby along the corridor and the nearby trails at Trinity Park.
Beauty in Becoming stands 8 feet tall and spans over 75 feet in length along Forest Park Boulevard. Each sculpture was fabricated and installed by Ion Art, Inc. a custom design and fabrication company based in Austin, Texas. The artwork was commissioned by the City of Fort Worth as part of the 2014 Bond Program and was formally dedicated on October 22, 2022.
See projects currently underway by visiting the Art In Progress page.