The sculptor's intent is to create a sequence of overhead visual events that highlight geologic features and atmospheric effects that typify the State of Arizona. The work is a comment on the ascending and descending experiences associated with flying and the relationship between structure and technology as it is set against the natural environment that surrounds the Deer Valley area. Suspended from the ceiling of the atrium lobby at Deer Valley Airport, materials used in the sculpture include native copper with characteristic eroded edges and specially manufactured cobalt blue light fixtures that reference runway patterns of light.



When modern technology is combined with nature, the result is often a complex work depicting the similarities between the two. Such is the case in Bi-Planar Arrival. In this project, native copper was used in conjunction with light fixtures to create an atmospheric affect that typifies the Arizona sky. The juxtaposition of these two elements together appears as surreal as the act of flying itself.
Artist Cathey Billian focused on materials surrounding the Deer Valley Airport while creating this piece. The copper and mica used are intended to reference the local landscape profiles while hinting at the rich resources available in this region. Merging these minerals with specially manufactured cobalt blue light fixtures gives the artwork a feeling similar to that of looking at a runway. The strength in the blue color given off by the light references the Arizona sky while maintaining a sense of mystery.

About the Artist
Cathey Billian maintains studios in both New York and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has received numerous awards for her sculptural work including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Billian teaches at the Pratt Institute in New York.