Reflections on Clouds

Reflections on Clouds

by Jana Harper

Location: Terminal 1, Near Gate C24

Clouds are the eternal symbol of all voyaging, of every quest and yearning for home. And as the clouds are suspended faintheartedly and longingly and stubbornly between heaven and earth, the souls of men are suspended faintheartedly and longingly and stubbornly between time and eternity. –Hermann Hesse

I am a verb. –Buckminster Fuller

These two statements have informed and inspired Harper’s work for St. Louis Lambert International Airport. One thing we all have in common is a fascination with the sky. Clouds are of universal interest and their significance and meaning is wide open to interpretation. Air travel enables us to experience a shift in perspective and view clouds at a thrilling proximity. Clouds are never static; they are in constant flux. This makes them the perfect metaphor for travel and voyaging. Like humans in Buckminster Fuller’s view, clouds are verbs — signs of ongoing action and transformation, departure and passage.