Diamondback Bridge

Working as a public artist requires both a critical eye and a thick skin. Being sound aesthetically and conceptually and populist is a challenge. Obviously, this is the work of many hands - from engineers to painters. The years of collaboration and this design, from its inception, all serve one factor: this community. The Diamondback rattlesnake design was a logical solution for the bridges requirements. The bridge was already designed to be a relatively long, thin, caged structure “ so why not round the edges, add a head and a tail, paint a pattern on the surface and create a giant rattlesnake? I feel that it is a perfect symbol of the Southwest desert environment. The snake is considered a benevolent, protective symbol in Native American mythology. I feel enormous gratitude to have been given this opportunity to participate in creating this bold, monumental gateway feature.