Monday, November 26, 2007

Structures Along the Waterfront

Yin & Yang

Placard behind the structure reads:

Robert Arneson was born in Benicia, California, where he lived most of his life. As a founding father of the contemporary ceramic sculpture movement, he used humor, satire, and confrontation to explore moral and ethical concerns in clay, bronze, and other media. "Yin and Yang" is one of five sculptures known collectively as the "Egghead" series. The series was commissioned in 1989 for the University of California at Davis, where Arneson taught from 1962-1991 and retired as Professor Emeritus of Art.



Cupid's Span

Steel and fiberglass structure 60 feet in height and 140 feet across created by renowned artists, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Revealed in 2003, this structure anchors the top of a berm with the arrowhead buried underneath it.



What is this? Does it have something to do with navigation? Does anyone know?


- AV

18 comments:

Mike said...

I like the bow and arrow. As for the last picture, I'm not sure. It could be a device for navigation but I'm wondering if perhaps it's a device used for land surveys.

Kate said...

Well, I don't think the last structure has to be anything, just exist. Love the Yin and Yang eggheads!

Andrea said...

Yin and Yang eggheads are a little scary looking. Good post though.

dot said...

I love each one of these pictures today! How would I ever see such except through you? If you find what the last one is let us know.

Lynette said...

Wow! Those are amazing. I agree with Dot, thanks to you I got to see them.

About the curved roof on my photo, that's not the best description of what I was trying to point out--sorry. It's the sort of small overhang roof thing above the double doors--Christmas lights run along beneath it and the diamond solitaire stands atop it. I took the photo in a sheltered spot holding the camera with my hands and holding my breath. It was on automatic, my best friend.

Fénix - Bostonscapes said...

Egghead on the right: C'mon, man, are you gonna spend the whole day lazing around AGAIN?

Egghead on the left: Why not?

:)

photowannabe said...

Great shots of my old stomping grounds. I haven't seen the egg heads though.
Its nice to see humor in art now and then. Haven't a clue about the last pic. though.

AVCr8teur said...

Mike, good thinking, it could be a land survey instrument. I'll keep digging to find out.

AVCr8teur said...

Kate, it's going to bother me not knowing whatever the artists conceived it to be. Oh well, ...

Isn't Yin & Yang cool! I saw that and had a good laugh although they do look a little spooky.

AVCr8teur said...

Andrea, you're right, they are funny and scary looking at the same time....a little yin and a little yang, I suppose.

AVCr8teur said...

Thank you Dot! I love taking these as long as people like looking at them. :)

AVCr8teur said...

Thank you Lynette! I love to share what I see. Thank you for taking photos of Portland and keep having the adventures of Flat Stanley!

AVCr8teur said...

Fenix, I can almost picture the 2 eggheads having a conversation such as the one you described.

AVCr8teur said...

Photowannabe, the 2 eggheads are between Justin Herman Plaza fountain and the Ferry Building. You can't miss it although I wonder where the other eggheads the artist created are located.

Anonymous said...

The last one kind of looks like a working model for the war of the worlds aliens.

AVCr8teur said...

Kate Isis, that is so funny! Why didn't I think of that! I'm glad it didn't make that horrible noise like War of the Worlds.

Web-OJ said...

The first one... could be me aged 7!!!!!

AVCr8teur said...

Web-Oj, Which face? Haha!