Public Art in Fontana, California

The process of creating sculpture for public spaces is a coordinated effort, often taking a year or more from inception to completion. The day the crane arrives and lifts the finished work into place is affirming and exciting for our clients, artists, and the entire team. Especially when the work is a contribution of Public Art within the community. This site-specific 13' stainless steel sculpture rests between enormous twin industrial buildings, each over 700,000 square feet. While Gerard Basil Stripling's work, Pivot, honors Fontana's steel history and the prevalence of winds, this iconic form is reminiscent of DNA, revealing our interconnectedness to one another.

“Just spectacular! Once the glass tower is completed on the main office area, it’s going to be a sight to behold.

Gerard, this is truly off the charts beautiful. The quality of craftsmanship is noticeable even through the pictures and the sculpture itself has such a positive vibe to it. ”

— Dan Floriani, Co-Founder Pacific Industrial

“Lots of fun working with you two; and the piece is beautiful! Thanks for making this easy!”

— John Grace, Director of Development, Pacifc Industrial

Art and Nature in Laguna Beach, CA

Electric Light Blanket
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Main Beach, Laguna Beach, CA

 

For twenty-five years, we've had the pleasure of working with Laddie John Dill on numerous site-specific installations that include wall sculptures for hospitals and corporations, public art sculptures, and even a 30' fountain. Nearly 2000 people attended Laguna Art Museum's Art and Nature festival for Laddie's spectacular performance piece, in conjunction with Jack Barnhill and Laserium. Photography by Cheryl Thiele.

Art in Public Places

Three monumental works were installed in April 2015 at Brea Industrial II in Brea, California. The expansive industrial park is the result of an outstanding team led by Vance Mape of Western Realco. All three buildings of this second phase were sold prior to completion.

The three sculptors chosen include Laddie John Dill, Archie Held, and Gerard Basil Stripling. Their site-specific original works complement the minimalist design of these industrial buildings, range in scale from 10'-15' and are fabricated in aluminum and stainless steel.

It's Personal

Glass Work in process

It's rare to find anyone these days who hasn't encountered cancer treatment either with someone in their family, circle of friends, or even themselves. When I was invited to provide the artwork on the fourth phase of the Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center's campus, the Radiation Oncology building, it became both a professional and personal opportunity to provide works that would offer hope and comfort in this important addition to Kaiser Permanente's Orange County health care services. 

The unusual and distinctive architecture at the entrance of the Anaheim Medical Center campus is a single story round glass building with fritted imagery of trees encircling the entire perimeter. Since the building footprint is reminiscent of a flower or a shell, discernible by looking down onto it from the nearby parking structure, we aspired to highlight that shape from within.

Glass artist, Kerry Johnson, was commissioned to create the focal work behind reception and used the actual site plan to form the shape of the 48" diameter fused glass. Installed in May, this building will open to the public in September.

Art and Fossils

Kaiser Permanente's Foothill Ranch Medical Office Building rests at the base of the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County, fourteen miles from the Pacific Ocean. When construction paused because the archeologist found ancient fossils of a baleen whale, a fish resembling a salmon, and the rare pacific loon, we worked with Kaiser Permanente, LSA, and the county to create an art program built around these marine fossils.

In a large case near reception the fossils are on display, while nearby a mixed media art installation shares pertinent educational and detailed information about the fossils, confirmation that at one time the building site was the ocean floor, artist sketches of the fossils, the tools, and other interesting factoids. In addition, five 6'-8' tall ceramic totems emerge through stone at the opposite end of the lobby, while contrasting original works in a nearby waiting room point the viewer towards the mountains or the sea.

Beneath the Image

One of our specialties is co-creating artwork that is more than an attractive image. On this project, Dottie Moore, textile artist worked closely with us to come up with a symbolic design that would inspire and support people coming to this behavioral health outpatient facility, many of them daily. We had input from administrators and staff about what could be included in the work, including a path, a focal tree with 12 main branches, a hopeful sky, a soothing stream, and an inspired and comforting color palette. 

Dottie invited others to participate in her quilt making, and sent 75 pieces of cloth that were distributed to patients and staff. The only instruction was to create a message that would provide comfort, confidence, or strength to others or themselves. We received messages that were written in multiple languages, sketches, and even embroidered images of animals.  

Out of respect for privacy and HIPA, all of the pieces were stitched into the interior of  the textile which expanded over 12'. Once a messy area in the main lobby, now people are greeted with the hopeful work, often stopping to examine the details. Some even recognize that there is hidden symbolism and messages beneath the image.