Rite of Location, 2022

A sculpture and historical monument examining St. Louis’s ritualistic response to location

Rite of Location is a commentary piece examining St. Louis’s reinforced, almost ritualistic response to location within the city. The divide between the Northside and Southside of St. Louis can be traced along Delmar Blvd, and significantly affects one’s access to housing, food, jobs, and opportunity. The sculpture is installed at 3960 Enright Ave, one block north of Delmar Blvd.

Using brick as a common denominator, Rite of Location references and abstracts the surrounding architectural landscape as sculpture. Traditional brick detailing is employed to create negative and positive space on opposite faces of the piece. The recessed and protruding brick form appears to move through the piece itself, creating a visual imbalance. This visual imbalance is a direct reference to the actual imbalance within the city’s resources marked by the Delmar Divide.