Victor Pacheco, Visual Arts
Worcester Water Infrastructure Project
This project was funded in part by ArtsWorcester (Material Needs
Grant).
The sculptures displayed here and on page 71 are inspired by the physical layout of the Worcester, MA water infrastructure. Using photography as a form of documentation and conducting some interviews, I was able to get a greater understanding of how our water
infrastructure system works and what happens to water before we get it from the tap. To help me understand the immensity of the system I visited the local water treatment plant and reservoirs.
Each sculpted piece was influenced and modeled after a part of the city of Worcester. I used several maps and photographs to help me create the sculptures. The top surface (foot-print) of each sculpture is an enlarged version of part of the Worcester map. I sectioned parts of the map by major streets and neighborhoods to create several sculptures. The sculptures are titled by zip code to identify place. These forms resemble extracted pieces of land with an overlaying system of pipes. The scale of the land in these sculptures is too small for the overlaying pipework. The pipework is an abstract interpretation of what our system really looks like.
The network of pipes that deliver and transport water in and out of our homes is a crucial element in our everyday routine. Because our water infrastructure is so vast, it doesn’t feel real. It’s unseen for miles. The only evidence of its existence is a single pipe into each household and thousands of manhole covers. Fire hydrants and storm water drains seamlessly fit into the structure of the city. Reservoirs, rivers, lakes and ponds give us a visual connection to nature but they don’t provide a clue as to their purpose and importance in our lives.
For more information visit www.vicpacheco.com
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Worcester Water Infrastructure Project
This project was funded in part by ArtsWorcester (Material Needs
Grant).
The sculptures displayed here and on page 71 are inspired by the physical layout of the Worcester, MA water infrastructure. Using photography as a form of documentation and conducting some interviews, I was able to get a greater understanding of how our water
infrastructure system works and what happens to water before we get it from the tap. To help me understand the immensity of the system I visited the local water treatment plant and reservoirs.
Each sculpted piece was influenced and modeled after a part of the city of Worcester. I used several maps and photographs to help me create the sculptures. The top surface (foot-print) of each sculpture is an enlarged version of part of the Worcester map. I sectioned parts of the map by major streets and neighborhoods to create several sculptures. The sculptures are titled by zip code to identify place. These forms resemble extracted pieces of land with an overlaying system of pipes. The scale of the land in these sculptures is too small for the overlaying pipework. The pipework is an abstract interpretation of what our system really looks like.
The network of pipes that deliver and transport water in and out of our homes is a crucial element in our everyday routine. Because our water infrastructure is so vast, it doesn’t feel real. It’s unseen for miles. The only evidence of its existence is a single pipe into each household and thousands of manhole covers. Fire hydrants and storm water drains seamlessly fit into the structure of the city. Reservoirs, rivers, lakes and ponds give us a visual connection to nature but they don’t provide a clue as to their purpose and importance in our lives.
For more information visit www.vicpacheco.com
