New to the City’s Public Art Collection is the recently completed public art project by artist Gwynn Murrill at The Montana, a mixed-use development located at 345 East Colorado in the heart of Pasadena.

The artwork is based on the natural environment and wildlife common in the American West. Murrill was inspired by the arid climates set in and adjacent to mountains common to many locales in settings as disparate as the City of Pasadena and the state of Montana. Pasadena’s rich history is rich with artists focused on the region’s natural splendors for inspiration. The Montana artwork builds upon this tradition by furthering it within a contemporary idiom, one respectful of the past but committed to progress in art.

The project, initiated by developer Charlie Munger and MS Property Company, was designed and managed by Nakada + Associates, Inc., with landscape architects Kornrandolph and art consultant Marc Pally for the City of Pasadena Public Art Program.

Bighorn Fountain
Bronze and Anamosa Limestone
10’7” x 12’ in diameter
2008

A life-size cast bronze sculpture of a native San Gabriel Mountain bighorn sheep poised atop two columns of rough-hewn limestone blocks. Water gently pours down the inside faces of the blocks providing a sense of respite during warm weather.

Raptor Intaglio
Carved Limestone
18’ x 80’
2008

The most visible artwork, and Murrill's largest to date, is a dramatic intaglio carving into the limestone panel sections that are situated above the building's main entrance on Colorado Boulevard. Two large-scaled eagles (one is approximately 9'6” and 42' long, the other approximately 15'6” high and 22' long) are carved into the limestone, creating a flowing narrative for the building's façade. While playing on a long-tradition of architectural ornamentation, Murrill's approach is strictly contemporary in its reductive language and manipulation of scale.

Cougar Intaglio
Carved Limestone
8’ 6” x 20’
2008

This carving was inspired by the arid climates set in and adjacent to mountains common to many locales in settings as disparate as the city of Pasadena and the state of Montana. An additional large scale, intaglio of a cougar (approximately 8'2” and 19'4” long) is carved into limestone panels measuring 8'6” high by 20' long, on the Euclid Street façade of the Montana.

“Whole Flow” (Processio Pasadena) is a sculpture by artist Buster Simpson for Whole Foods Market that functions both as an artwork and as a working example of water preservation and sustainable uses of natural resources. The fountain will run on gray water from the condensation from a series of freezer units.

The sculpture is fountain is a series of fourteen stacked stainless steel bowls measuring 50” diameter and 12” deep. The artwork forms and provides a vertical aeration system for the water cascading from one bowl to the next allowing oxygen to enter the water and promote a cleansing process. This procession is one of healing and of art, a journey of restoration infrastructure, serving as a model and catalyst, and suggesting a procession of paradigm shifts for Pasadena recharging the valley watershed.

Currently installed, the fountain will be operational in early 2009.

 

Artist Renee Petropoulos is installing 317 paces and 21 stops, a terrazzo hardscape that wraps around a corner of the mixed use project like a garden path at 220 N. Lake Avenue. The artist designed the path as a progression of colors and patterns that are repeated throughout the project like the diamond pattern with large rocks found on Walnut Avenue, the rock pattern on Lake Ave. and the stone pavers on Walnut and Lake Avenues. The perspective decreases or increases as it winds its way down the block. As some patterns echo one another, color is introduced to reinforce and enhance the effects of the composition giving the project a rhythm felt by the pedestrian.

Below and right are images of the unpolished terrazzo installation. The entire artwork will be polished prior to completion.

Sculptor David Schafer was commissioned through the City of Pasadena Public Art Program for New Private Development requirement of Pacific Medical Buildings located at 70 W. California. The artwork, “Separated United Forms” encompasses two large-scaled cast bronze sculptures, 7’ x 12’ each that are anticipated to be installed in November 2008.

The two rounded sculptures are undulating and organic with references to a life-form. The development process involved the selection a small Henry Moore sculpture from the collection of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena which was scanned using 3D scanning technology. Moore believed his sculptures evoked growth and suggested a living life-form, or the vital life force. The forms of the sculpture were then manipulated by scaling, rotating, superimposing, and doubling.

Conservation is underway on Margaret Nielsen’s “Pasadena Panorama” that greets visitors to the Paseo Colorado on the Garfield Promenade. Paseo Colorado management, Development Diversity Corporation is committed to maintain all the public artwork and has been working with the artist and Cultural Affairs staff. The Venetian glass mosaic fountain and hardscape has experienced some minor damage since 2000-01 when the artwork was installed. Conservation to the damaged glass mosaic pieces will be replaced, the tile regrouted and the entire piece will be cleaned.

“Pasadena Panorama, 2000-2001”

Conservation Team in action

Conservation Team includes (left to right):
Mario Rodriguez, Janitorial/Maintenance Worker;
Michael Horn, Operations Manager; Margaret Nielsen,
Artist; Raoul Delgado, Maintenance Supervisor;
Melquiades Ramirez, Janitorial Supervisor.

Anne Marie Karlsen’s “Dream Stream” has been providing a soothing and tranquil experience to visitors to the Terraces at Paseo Colorado since it was installed in 2001.  Significant damage was sustained by the fountain as its tiles began to separate from the wall.  Working in conjunction with the artist and Terraces’ manager, Sculpture Conservation Studio was called in to lead the conservation effort.  The fallen tiles are being cleaned, filled and in-painted at their studio and the entire fountain will be treated as well and to clean the calcification that has built up.  Soon the sound of the trickling fountain will once again greet apartment residents and guests.

Tiles separated from the left
side of the fountain wall

Detail of damaged tile

Conservation work on the tiles
at Sculpture Conservation Studios




Leaf tile before conservation




Leaf tile after conservation




Conservation Team includes (from left to right):

Steve Forss, Tile Installation; Anne Marie Karlsen, Artist;
Meagan Goldgerg, Sculpture Conservation Studio
and Carol Greene, Manager Terraces at Paseo Colorado.