Bree Gomez is a local San Diego-based public artist, designer, entrepreneur and graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As an artist, she strives to transform spaces into places of destination by creating functional work that is accessible, therapeutic and harmonious within its environment. She works with a variety of sustainable materials such as glass, metal, ceramic, sound and light.
Since studying at SAIC with renowned public artist, Jaume Plensa (Crown Fountain, Millennium Park),she has been captivated by the field of placemaking and utilizing sound and light to activate public spaces. During her studies with Plensa, she created a proposal for the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, which culminated in a public exhibition at Richard Gray Gallery in the John Hancock Center.
By addressing the inaccessibility of light from the inside out, my proposal, Correction utilized phototherapeutic light to transform the Metropolitan Correctional Center into a place of rejuvenation for prisoners and pedestrians alike while also illuminating the invisible barrier that exists between us.
Medium: Steel, Aluminum, Sound Responsive Rope Lights, Internal Motion Responsive Sonar Computer System
Dimensions: 144”H x 120”W x 24”D
Accord is a dynamic and engaging sculpture comprised of strands of light that are interwoven within a metal structure. Upon investigation, a sonar beam emitted from within the sculpture captures movement and converts it into recognizable tunes such as the violin and flute. The lights then respond to the sound generated by movement. By utilizing the captivating medium of sound, light and metal, Accord provokes interaction and dialogue. Furthermore, the sound component of Accord enables those with limited mobility an opportunity to communicate using sound.
Medium: Phototherapeutic Light, Electrochromic Glass, Mahogany
Correction uses light in a therapeutic way, healing the prison from the inside out by implementing the phototherapeutic green light into corridors within the building, such as dining areas to improve the overall mental health of the inmates.
Medium: Copper-Plated Porcelain
I created a 3-part plaster mold of a shell to produce a slip-cast porcelain shell. After firing the porcelain shell in the kiln, I glazed it and then performed an electroplating experiment with copper. Afterwards, I used a propane torch to expedite the oxidation process.
