Everyone Appreciates a Punctual Train
Mary Lucking | 2013
Wellston MetroLink Station
Bronze figurines and stainless steel pedestal
Birds: 6″-5″ h. x 6″-11″ w. x 3″-4″ d.
Clocks: 1½″ h. x 3½″ w. x 3½″ d.
Pedestal: 2′ 8″ h. x 1′ 4″ w. x 1′ 4″ d.
Train platforms are odd, limbo-like places where time seems to grind to a halt while you wait. Yet the animals that live around the station – birds, squirrels, rabbits – are unconcerned with schedules and live by the natural rhythms set by the sun and the seasons. This artwork depicts a fantastical reality in which these carefree animals share the wait with us and commiserate with our desire to move time forward despite the unmoving clock hands.
Commissioned by Arts in Transit for Metro St. Louis with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, awarded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).