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The central element of this sculpture is a carved column of basalt. This stone was chosen for its enduring beauty and strength. It is a symbol of work. Work is a core element in our lives, the means through which we support ourselves and our loved ones and an avenue to use our talents to build our communities. The bronze forms symbolize the support given to the worker: the arm reaches out to create a safe workplace and the wing is a web of resources available to help in hard times.
The Glyphs take two forms. In the wing, line designs or "lattice glyphs" express the composition of the more detailed glyphs in the floor. The floor glyphs are symbolic each expressing one of six major fields of work covered by Pinnacol:
Agriculture: Familiar crop rows abstracted and bisected by a stalk of wheat. The background is the horizon with a silo and outbuilding.
Construction: The arch, the I-beam and the truss. The arch incorporates the teeth of a carpenter's saw; the truss includes the shape of a mason's trowel and the spark of electricity.
Manufacturing: Represented here by a meshing of gears. The synchronized action of the gears symbolizes the mechanics of fabrication, as well as the coordination of business through communication, production and delivery.
Mining: Symbolized by an abstracted loader bucket, the workhorse of excavation. The stylized designs on the lower portion of the bucket represent the strata of the earth.
Medicine: The staff and woven serpents of the caduceus are represented here as well and the helix of DNA, the building block of all life.
Clerical: The steady flow of information represented in the form of a book. On the left, a traditional book. On the right, digitized information, and down the spine a series of clasped hands. This handshake symbolizes the steady flow of relationships, the backbone of clerical work.
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