Brooklyn Bridge
Pure Silk
24 “ x 63”
What better way to spend a lovely morning or afternoon than a romantic walk across New York’s beloved Brooklyn Bridge. Designed by German-born American civil engineer John Augustus Roebling with eventual assistance by his son Washington Roebling, the project was completed by Washington’s wife, Emily, an engineer herself, for the final eleven years of the project.
The beautiful brick and stone towers are in the Neo Gothic style with their pointed arches. As wind tunnel testing was not available at the time of construction, Mr. Roebling designed the truss system to be six to eight times stronger than it needed to be. An elevated pedestrian and cycling promenade run in between the two roadways and 18 feet above them.
Understanding that the bridge designer was not only an engineer, but an immigrant, that due to its knowledge and “guts” designed a beautiful masterpiece. I became determined to include it in my series New York’s Landmarks. In doing so I was intrigued by the hybrid vertical and diagonal suspension cables of the bridge that separated what were actually two separate cites of Brooklyn and New York.
My design is a graceful play on the strength of the large brick piers and delicate suspension cables supporting a roadway that once took cable cars and trolleys. Hopefully I created a design which makes the entire image float effortlessly above water overlooking the city.