Poet’s Walk: Walk Earth Talk
April Greiman | Los Angeles

Location: FIGat7th, 735 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017
About the work
Walk Earth Talk is an installation of 30 square granite plaques by April Greiman, based on the poetry of Lucille Clifton. The artwork is laid into the ground of the upper plaza at FIGat7th retail center, adjoining the offices of 777 Tower and Ernst & Young Plaza. Greiman’s intent was to bring the spirit of a nurturing earth mother up from the ground and into what she considered a masculine space. A space that is defined as much by the tall, powerful, ominous buildings that surround the plaza as it is by the ratio of men to women that work within this traditionally patriarchal corporate environment. The work aims to subtly change the character of place without altering its outward appearance.
A smooth tempo and flow as well as a plethora of perspectives was attained through the even spacing of the plaques and through the use of different colors, sizes, and fonts on each panel, all of which represent different voices. The viewer determines how the poem reads, depending on the direction from which they approach the work and how they move through it, ultimately allowing the viewer to also take on a unique and distinct voice within the space.
hear
you
here
me
hearing
hold
touch
us
April Greiman (b. 1948) is an influential contemporary American graphic designer. She is considered one of the first designers to see computer in a different light, who realized its potential as a design tool. She is recognized for introducing the ‘New Wave’ design style in the US. Greiman is the director of a design consultancy, Made in Space, based in Los Angeles.