Beneath the Surface is a site-specific installation created for Connect-Disconnect, a public art initiative commissioned by Louisville’s Commission on Public Art in 2015 and situated along the Ohio River.

The sculpture was informed by the area’s ecology and today’s marginalized culture living next to the river in downtown Louisville. Carothers found inspiration in local, oral histories of transient communities that once inhabited the surroundings of the riverfront site but have left little historical evidence behind. Beginning with a doorknob that once belonged on a traveler’s wagon, the artist collected antique hardware from Louisville riverfront communities while learning of their personal histories.

Each artifact was cast and produced out of porcelain which refers to white clay deposits within the riverbed along the Ohio River. As the community stories grew, Carothers also created sculptures to reflect the ongoing narrative. The resulting sculptural topography mimics the quality of river grass and the movement of a river. Each sculpture represents an individual story; the thousands form a mass to signify a community.

The sculpture was permanently installed at Great Meadows Estate in Crestwood, Kentucky, as part of the contemporary art collection of Al Shands in 2016. The sculpture was recognized by American for the Arts as being among the top 6 public projects in 2016.

This project was supported by the Commission on Public Art and Contemporary Art Collector Al Shands.