NEWS

'Dover Traffic Spiral’: Art inspired by noise

Deb Cram
Artist Kris Lanzer began working on "Dover Traffic Spiral" two years ago and finished the piece just recently at 93 Stark Ave., where she lives.

DOVER — It’s loud and busy at 93 Stark Ave. Motorcycles, dump trucks, cars of all types whiz by with motors revving and gears grinding. A jogger’s sneakers hit the sidewalk in rhythm, too.

And just beyond the fence line, two signs read, “Dover Traffic Spiral. A Roadside Art Installation by artist Kris Lanzer.” More than 250 Matchbox-size vehicles encased in resin, which Lanzer calls “carcobbles” are on a road she created that might remind visitors of what Dorothy stepped on to get to Oz. They are meant to look like cobblestones.

Lanzer calls the place she’s lived for 30 years the “Garden of Sustenance” and creativity lives everywhere within sight and light in her yard.

“Dover Traffic Spiral” is her newest creation. Looking at the installation, Lanzer shouts above the deafening buzz from traffic near her home, “It was inspired by traffic! It’s so noisy and instead of a ’grrrrrrr,’ I’m embracing it.”

She explains the process began when “courtyard” came to mind. It’s a private space visible to the public and she had some fun with the juxtaposition. She points out, “There’s a lot going on with the spiral, motion; a lot of duality and opposite forces and being centered with all of that. You know, what’s in front of us, what’s behind us. That northbound-southbound thing that kind of informs of the philosophical, you know? That’s what I’m working with.”

The two-year project she just finished last week comes from a mixture of different concrete processes, collaboration with others, collection of cars and a ton of thought and patience. Everything is placed at a certain spot for a certain reason. The artist with a sense of humor and full-of-life attitude is excited to talk about the project and all the steps taken to get to the end result. She points out the green light in the center of the piece came from a street light and “green means go.”

She loves certain cars in the piece like the smashed Volkswagen she found, a snowplow because we have those here, an orange cement mixer because that’s fun and she also loves the yellow school bus and motorcycles.

Lanzer joked the reason she got into art was because she was born late and had a lot of time to think. Thinking back to childhood she says, “I remember collecting stuff out of the wastebaskets, especially those little Dixie cups. I’d collect those and see what I could make with them.

“My mother had an arts and crafts closet so I really embraced that. I loved to wrap presents and design cards, and I did all that handmade stuff.”

The artist has multiple projects going on at all times. Lanzer shows in galleries and other venues, which can handle her large installations, but often she likes to work outside.

"We are going to have a celebration day September 19 for the equinox,“ she said. ”I’m a nature girl so I have to go with the natural times.“

Lanzer was asked how she deals with the coronavirus pandemic as an artist.

“I really like working solo so I’m having a blast,” she said. “I know tons of people who love and are inspired by being with people, and my heart goes out to them. I know that when life is at a point when everyone is being with each other that’s sometimes very stressful for me. Right now I’m not wearing that added level of immediate stress.”

Information: krislanzer.com

Kris Lanzer's latest art installation can be seen from the sidewalk just over a fence line at 93 Stark Ave. in Dover.