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Brower Hatcher's 18 foot (5.4 m) sculpture of a tree is sited among the trees lining the walks of Thomas Jefferson Park. The polished stainless-steel trunk supports a globe constructed from a translucent matrix of color-coated stainless rods connected by nickel-plated brass fittings. With the guidance of the artist, students from River East School and the Thomas Jefferson Park Recreational Center created small bronze figures that are now displayed on the tree's branches. These objects, which include pizza slices, dogs, worms, and a bird in its nest, represent what the students recognize as common sights in the park.
L. Brower Hatcher attended Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, and St. Martins School of Art, London. He is a member of the faculty of St. Martins School of Art and Bennington College, VT. His work has been extensively exhibited. Public commissions include works in Philadelphia, Pa; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Roanoke, VA; Tampa, FL; Birmingham, AL; Madison, WI; and Houston, TX. Museum commissions include the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Museum of Art, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT; and the Museum of Art, SUNY, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Artist Quote... 'The total work is a sculptural metaphor of nature, of the day to day activity of the park, and of the neighborhood. Elements and influences of the park are gathered together and synthesized as a spatial cosmology.'