Douglas Hancock
Douglas Hancock Artist Statement
This is an interactive interpretive piece which invites the audience to step in, sit down and experience what I find great about the Miami Marine Stadium. I played with the juxtaposition of the past and current state of the stadium paying homage to both. Upon sitting down an audio file of an actual hydroplane race from 1989 will play from the speakers embedded in the base. As you sit down you can feel the roar of the boats racing by while viewing a ghosted image of a race between two thunderboats as they pass the stadium. The orientation is how the boats would race from left to right across the stadium and around the basin. The concrete base is sculpted as if it was ripped from the stadium and dropped in place. I painted and aged the concrete to appear as if it was from the stadium today. The backer is a photo of the stadium in its current state showing the vibrant colors and various graffiti. Another unique viewpoint is created viewing from the outside through the acrylic (the past) to the seat and backer (present state). I hope this piece sparks memories and helps others understand what makes the stadium great yesterday and today. Hopefully questions about the past, present and future will be provoked. What do we want to stadium to become and why?
Background:
As a child my family spent a good bit of time at the stadium for the various events. I remember working in the concession stand with my mother and also attending events there too. My favorite event was when the Thunderboats came to the stadium and I would always root for the baby blue and white, Atlas Van Lines boat. These great memories faded after Hurricane Andrew, the stadium was closed and it was sad to see. I saw the graffiti happening and it hurt to see the stadium fall into disrepair. I was unable to understand the importance the graffiti and street art culture was going to play in the future of the stadium. The stadium had taken on another life by providing a location for a subculture I was not a part of but the stadium did live on.
Here we are today, trying to bring the stadium back to its former glory. I am older now and understand far more what the Marine Stadium means. As an adult artist I now understand the culture of street art far better and can appreciate its role in this evolution. I hope my piece provokes thought and discussion about the past, present and future of the stadium and its place in Miami. I hope it brings back memories of times past and also nods to the importance of the current state and how that is being played out. I look forward to the new future of the Marine Stadium and what it will transform into.
