Blind Justice

Blind Justice

Public Safety Building – Kirkland, WA. Commissioned by the City of Kirkland.

A glass divider wall at the entrance to the Municipal Court. Created at Franz Mayer of Munich of vitreous enamels and etching on float glass. 12”h x 10’w x 1”. 2014.

Blind Justice draws inspiration from the Founding Fathers and the principle that our judicial system is intended to be balanced and neutral. Through the courts, evidence is weighed before arriving at a decision. The piece references this concept through employing the metaphor of the eye chart as both a visual devise through which our eyesight is evaluated. It, in and of itself, is neutral. The letters, an excerpt from the Preamble to the Constitution, float over a topographic map of Kirkland within the region, reinforcing the fact that we exist within a larger sphere. Like the eye chart, there is no spacing or punctuation, and the letters do not immediately coalesce into words–until one sees “united” “states” and the language snaps into place.