We Are

Artist: Amy Bagwell

Location: Concourse C, Gate C7

Artist Statement: "The original text in these collages is central to their meaning: We are made of our days. Our days are made of each other. Sometimes it is a comfort to be reminded that every moment is the life we are living, including the time we spend in transit or at work (for travelers and airport personnel), where the struggle to be present is often its most challenging. And the idea that we are all part of each other's lives, even if we only pass for a moment-or bump into one another or jostle in line-is easy to forget but it's so important. The imagery is hand-cut and sometimes colorized florals from vintage magazines across the early to mid-20th Century. The imagery suggests a nostalgic paradise. The flowers are magically interwoven and from all over, representing the myriad points to and from which we come as we pass through our international airport. However, emphasis in the first collage, "we are," is given to the locally beloved dogwood blossom. Lastly, original photos of a magnifying lens (itself with floral etching) enables metaphors that connect the imagery directly to the text. In the first, one flower is magnified from among many, as one day can be examined in a lifetime of days. In the second, many flowers (of a range of hues) are magnified from within one flower, just as all of the people in our lives are part of each day."

Commissioned by the Arts & Science Council and the Public Art Commission in partnership with the City of Charlotte.