Wiggle Room and C'Mon are two outdoor sculptures Co-located in Sunnyvale, California. Situated in…read morean office complex on Bordeaux Dr, they are the works of artist John Clement. Clement is a native of Philadelphia and is presently based out of New York. Its interesting that he is a disciple of Mark di Suvero who's work I have reviewed as well. Whereas di Suvero makes extensive use of linear forms, Clements expression seems more rooted in curvy, non linear forms. From the Artists biography: "My sculptures are three-dimensional realizations of imaginary forms," says Clement. "I rely heavily on the artistic process, allowing the work to evolve and mature, eventually become self-referential. Although many of my works are site-specific their form does not directly rely on the surrounding architecture or landscape. The clearly defined positive and negative space of the work, combined with its scale, creates a new framework in which the surroundings can be experienced through the sculpture ... I choose to work with steel and approach the material first as an artist and second as a craftsman. The success of my work does not rely upon gimmicks or trickery in the materials, but on the implied movement and strength of form of each individual piece. The bright, primary colors used to paint the work serves to bring the form of the work to the forefront, enhancing the sense of the work leaping from the ground as well as protecting the material from corrosion." As noted both sculptures are located in an office park and within 100 feet of each other. C'Mon is the smaller of the two with its interlocking curves and striking red paint. While massive in size its form projects a sense of continuity and fluidity and you can easily get lost trying to follow them. Wiggle Room is a much more massive structure. This sculpture gives the impression from some angles of a single coil being unwound. Its a bit more chaotic than its smaller sister and sometimes you get the feeling of two coils trying to interact. Regardless its a fascinating piece and what makes more interesting is that the relative closeness of these sculptures makes it easy to compare and contrast. Wiggle Room and C'Mon are sort of off by themselves and are at best a quick stop and there is really nothing to do in the immediate vicinity. That being said there are several parks in easy walking distance and the Sunnyvale Bay Trail is also located nearby.

Sail Sculpture is an outdoor art installation located in the city of Mountain View, California…read more Located on Garcia Avenue, it is the work of artist Burke Rutherford. It is located near Intuit Corporation Building 4. As a side note you never see Intuit bikes abandoned but I digress... Rutherford, who was born in Utah, and moved to California in his youth, studied art extensively in Europe. His work which is primarily seen in North America, ranges from huge outdoor installations to small tabletop designs. Its seems very hard to pin down a particular style and he seemed content to dabble in a vast multitude of them. He passed away at his home in Mexico in 2015 From the artist: 'There is noting more gratifying than to see people, young, old, and even blind, enjoy your work, touching and feeling the sculpture as it truly should be experienced" And indeed, before I did my research, I was compelled to run my hand down the face of one of the triangles. I normally do not do this but I'm happy to see this was his intent. The sculpture consists of three abstract, curved triangles position close together. The effect is very cool, and from some angles you may only see one, or all three, but you are drawn into the symmetry and differences of each piece. This kind of art significantly interfered with my bike ride as I was really reluctant to leave the sculpture. It really drew me in. If I had a lawn chair and a decent pilsner in quantity, I could spend hours just staring at it. Sail Sculpture is really off by itself. There is a variety of activities to do within a few miles, and this is better as a stop than a destination. There is a nearby installation I have already review, Ling The Lang and Buzzcock, so there is more than afew to see int he immediate vacinity. There are also several installations int he immediate area I have not gotten too, so stay tuned

This is my favorite art piece among the awesome collection of exhibits at the Google Visitor…read moreExperience in Mountain View. The unique sculpture, created by Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson Art, features a grizzly bear made up 160,000 pennies and a steel frame. The illusion of this artwork is engaging, and the detail impressive, both during the day and under the moonlight. Love seeing this creative portrayal of my spirit animal on display at the Google Gradient Canopy :D

This isn't just an art exhibit, it's a whole experience! The setting here is like a jungle, full of…read moreplantlife and fallen leaves, with different stone sculptures, wooden carvings, and totem pole artworks almost camouflaged among the tree trunks and branches, displayed underneath the shade, and benches situated randomly within the forest of art. In 1994, Anthropology grad student and researcher, Jim Mason, organized a project to have a group of artists, aged 27-74, coming from 6 different villages in the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea, to create the beautiful sculptures at Stanford University. The landscaping and plants of the garden were organized by other entities. The artwork is based on Kwoma and Iatmul mythology and stories of creation, the center of the garden created in the likeness of "spirit homes". Two of the pieces, The Thinker and The Gates of Hell, were inspired by the Rodin sculptures on campus bearing the same names, but tell their own stories. The history and design of this sculpture garden are fascinating, and the natural environment and overall maintenance of this exhibit make it an appealing place to visit. It's even a desirable area of campus to hold school events (they had just finished such an event when I visited this past Sunday). Also, free parking is available at Stanford on the weekends.

Its a very cool outdoor installation located on the Stanford campus. T They sculptures are spread…read moreout and all have interesting descriptions of the culture and the art. This is a perfect COVID activity as its not crowded, everything is spread out and its outdoors. Mask up and keep your distance and its all good. There are at least 12 other art installations nearby as well as the Student Union and main bookstore.

This simple yet unique sculpture, located at Google headquarters in Mountain View and commissioned…read moreby the former ALZA pharmaceutical company, was created by local artist Roger White Stoller. Stoller's artworks are inspired by elements of nature. For this particular piece, the heavy granite base is meant to represent the earth, the foundation of life. The upper portion of the structure, made up of bronze and steel, features a spiral shaped design similar to a DNA helix as a symbol of life, but is sculpted with holes reminiscent of a skeleton, depicting a state of decay, an interesting erosion pattern for viewers to interpret and appreciate. The Tetrahelix represents the cycle of life and brings to mind the unpredictability of existence. The Google parking lots across the street were pretty empty on a Sunday morning, but otherwise there are very few options for parking nearby, probably since there's not much to do out here. But I did discover that right behind this sculpture, hidden by trees, is a giant sandpit with a net set up for beach volleyball, a random but cool find (just like the art piece itself).

This bronze sculpture is situated in a business park setting in front of one of the Google…read morebuildings (formerly NetApp), almost hidden in the brush between the sidewalk and parking lot. The artist, Thomas Ostenberg, aims to utilize thought and emotion on a more powerful level in his art, conveying a sense of balance, hence the balancing act displayed in Above Conflict. The titles of his sculptures emphasize the intended meaning (following ideals that bring joy and positivity) beyond the sometimes playful depictions of animals interacting with humans. This particular art piece, though unkempt in appearance with run off and a bit of wear and dirt, is still in pretty good condition considering the sculpture is more than two decades old. It's not something I would recommend going out of your way to see, but if you're in the area, it's free and easy to stop by (parking available right in front) and give it some attention... it sadly looks like an afterthought now.

The Reclining Figure is a public sculpture located on the grounds of Stanford University. Located…read moreon Serra Street, it is within the Stanford Graduate School of Business and it is the work of renowned sculptor Willem de Kooning de Kooning, a native of the Netherlands, is known for his abstract expressionist style. In addition, Post World War II, he was one of the leaders of a newer style collectively known as "gestural abstraction" and was part of a larger group of artists that were collectively referred to as 'New York School". In the 50's he was considered the definitive leader in post war expressionist art. He painted a influential series of painting in this time frame collectively knows as The Woman" series. (As a note, Woman III sold for 137 million in 2006). He also was known for his use of bronze in abstract sculptures. The Reclining Figure is a tough one for me. I contemplated it for quite some time and I could not wrap my head around it. While the shapes in and of itself were interesting, i could not decide what it was. The best I could come up with was a large chunk of Pahoehoe Lava. It is a massive piece of bronze and quite imposing beyond my inability to see anything out of it. Interestingly enough this is one of 7 casts. At an auction in 2012 #4 fetched 2.4 million. Also of note, unlike many of the art on campus, this one is 'On loan" which means it way be recalled by the estate. As noted this sculpture sits on the grounds of the Graduate School of Business. As such, it is much better part of a multi stop trip. That being said, there are 6 other art installations in the immediate vicinity along with a cafe within a few feet of it. It is also on Serra Street, so it is within walking distance of the Hoover Tower, Main Quad, etc.

Six #1 is an outdoor sculpture located on the Stanford University Campus. It in front of the Li Ka…read moreShing Learning and Knowledge Center and sits right on the Discovery Walk. It is the work of sculptor Kenneth Snelson. Snelson, a native of Pendleton, Oregon, is a noted American sculptor. He is the principal practitioner of a concept known as Tensegrity or floating compression. This form relies on "the use of isolated components in compression inside a net of continuous tension, in such a way that the compressed members (usually bars or struts) do not touch each other and the prestressed tensioned members (usually cables or tendons) delineate the system spatially." His sculptures ranged from desktop sized to some that are well over 90 feet!. His work can be seen world wide and he was a prolific artist. Snelson died at age 89 in 2016. From the artist "My art is concerned with nature in its primary aspect, the patterns of physical forces in three dimensional space." Six #1 is one of two Snelson art installations located on Campus. This particular piece is the smaller of the two. Having seen many examples of his work this one is underwhelming. While the seemingly basic structure seems simplistic the interplay between the tunes and wires is interesting. But, given the size of the adjacent structure, this installation really looks out of place and the scale of the building do not do the sculpture justice. Rahter be part of the surrounding environment it stands out and not in a good way. It looks liek they needed a place to put it and this was the only spot. In a different environment it would be far more interesting IMHO. Six #1 as noted is on the Stanford Campus. Located in the medical school complex it is near several outdoor art installations, Nexus eatery, the Discovery Walk, and the cactus Garden. As with most places on the Campus this is more of stop than a destiantion.

I agree with Fred T about the relative scale, merits, and demerits of the sculpture and its…read moreplacement per se, especially compared with Snelson's larger Mozart 1 across from the Stanford Bookstore. However, I assume and hope that the sculpture was placed in front the medical school building, Li Ka Shing, because tensegrity is a model for human anatomy and the oppositional forces among muscle, tendon, and bone. Others have written about how the body is a tensegrity structure. For many years, I taught tai ji at, and weather permitting, outside Li Ka Shing, as an exercise in the balance of forces, both anatomical and as a function of qi ("ch'i"), the Life Force. Tai ji can be seen as a dynamic tensegrity system.