Avatar is a memorial honoring Steve Unangst who was the chief city zoning planner for the city of…read moreMountain View when he passed away in 1987. A plaque at the foot of the statue reads "To recognize his contributions to the design of our community". The artwork was created by L.C. Shank, and portrays a tall figure releasing a bird into the sky, perhaps symbolizing freedom. A simple yet uplifting monument worth checking out at Eagle Park.

Jasper Priestess @Downtown Los Altos CA ©…read moreThis is one of the public art installations in my downtown Los Altos, a sculpture called Jasper Priestess, created in 2011 by artist Damien Jones. Located at the corner of Main & 2nd Streets, by the U.S. Bank & Posh Bagel, across the street from Le Boulanger. If you'd been to Los Altos downtown, you've likely walked by it many times. City of Los Altos Public Arts Commission installed multiple sculptures around downtown about a decade ago. This is one of them. One can view this artistic creation as a female figure holding her arms up over her head. Damien Jones creates water features and sculptures to highlight stone and water, that's my take on his art. I believe his sculptures are made from high-fired ceramic but you don't have to take my word on it. Take his. He makes private custom designs, water walls, and fountains for private collections if you are interested. He works at his studio in Los Angeles. LOL another LA :-) Artist background in my own words: from the beginnings in engineering and quality control manufacturing, to industrial design, Damien Jones career in designing consumer products seemed well defined. You would be surprised to learn that he designed a cleaner for InvisAlign teeth aligners, and for the Swiffer wet mop. He has left that career for art in 2005, traveled to Thailand and India studying meditation and yoga, building up his desire "to express universal truths through art". Cheers to life! Jasper Priestess Sculpture by Damien Jones created in 2011 @Downtown Los Altos CA Review #678 posted with 2 pictures on January 12, 2022

Max is an outdoor sculpture located in Mountain View, California..... Wow this one came out of…read morenowhere and I was really shocked. I have seen other works of Deborah Butterfield at major museums, and was floored to see this art installation in the middle of nowhere (I mean its near offices etc, but not on any maps), off by itself with little fanfare. I was biking by and saw it from a distance. Curious I rode up and was very surprised Deborah Butterfield began sculpting horses back in the 1970's. She started with sticks and clay, but soon progressed to scrape metal. She later moved on to cast bronze. She selects individual pieces of wood and then creates the bronze cast. The wood/bronze is then used to create the horses. A native of San Diego, California, her art can be seen in museums around the country. From the artist: ""The lines of the branches do not simply outline the forms of horses, they create the contours through an accumulation of simple or energetic lines that seem to build up from within. This is three-dimensional gesture drawing, and the result is both skeletal and muscular." The sculpture at first glance appears to be driftwood with all of its detail, but when you touch it and feel the cold hard metal its shocking everything even though I know what to expect. There is a stark simplicity to the sculpture as a whole from a distance, but the intricate details of the casting and the complexity the small shapes form are shockingly complex. The sculpture is about 40 feet from the sidewalk and up a slight hill. There is nothing around and I have to admit I spent a good 30 minutes enjoying both the relative quiet and the sculpture from different angles. As with most of my public art reviews this is more of a stop than a destination. There is quite a bit to do in the immediate are from the various Bay Trails and Shoreline Lake etc.

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 2023 aluminum metal sculpture, located in front of the Sunrise Senior Living facility in…read moreSunnyvale, is surrounded by a couple benches as well as a small garden of flowers and plants (and even a couple fruit trees) creating a simple but beautiful setting for relaxing and appreciating the artwork. The artist, Michael Kalish, is known for his unique license plate collection including portraits of iconic figures such as Albert Einstein and Superman, as well as impressive artworks (particularly roses) made of car parts. But his Floral Sky design and creation is just as impressive and beautiful, the Sunnyvale version, Sunflower Sky, creating a nice outdoor space I was able to take advantage of on a sunny Monday afternoon. There's also easy street parking on Manet Drive, adding to the convenience of checking out this lovely art piece.

Mitchell Park Library is a lively community center with lights illuminating the outdoor area after…read moredark during business hours. Six shiny stainless steel owl sculptures, by Brad Oldham, are lined up in front of the entrance, greeting visitors. Two kinds of owls are staggered in a row, "whimsy" with a round figure and larger eyes exuding a lighthearted and playful vibe, and "wise" with its wings straight down at its sides, appearing alert and attentive as intended by the artist. The tails are curved enough to be used as makeshift seats (I saw a kid sitting on one of the statues while I was there). The mirror finish of the sculptures ensures those who encounter this beautiful artwork become part of the art as well.

This is an easy-to-miss horse sculpture, made of bronze and metal with the simple appearance of…read moredriftwood pieced together into a lovely work of art. A similar art piece can be found at the Cantor Arts Center as part of a series by the artist, Deborah Butterfield, however Butternut, named after its color, is easier to access and view right in front of the Stanford Hospital, with tables and seating in the vicinity as well. Free self parking (up to 2 hours) is available in the Pasteur Visitor Garage, hidden underground. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but the sculpture is worth some attention if you're in the area.

Butternut is a public art installation location on the ground of the Stanford University medical…read moreCenter. It is the work of artist Deborah Butterfield. This is the 3th or her Horse series that can be found on the Peninsula with the other being in the Cantor, and of all places in the middle of nowhere in Mountain View. Deborah Butterfield began sculpting horses back in the 1970's. She started with sticks and clay, but soon progressed to scrape metal. She later moved on to cast bronze. She selects individual pieces of wood and then creates the bronze cast. The wood/bronze is then used to create the horses. A native of San Diego, California, her art can be seen in museums around the country. From the artist: ""The lines of the branches do not simply outline the forms of horses, they create the contours through an accumulation of simple or energetic lines that seem to build up from within. This is three-dimensional gesture drawing, and the result is both skeletal and muscular." The sculpture at first glance appears to be driftwood with all of its detail, but when you touch it and feel the cold hard metal its shocking everything even though I know what to expect. There is a stark simplicity to the sculpture as a whole from a distance, but the intricate details of the casting and the complexity the small shapes form are shockingly complex. The sculpture is about 40 feet from the sidewalk and up a slight hill. There is nothing around and I have to admit I spent a good 30 minutes enjoying both the relative quiet and the sculpture from different angles. I am always fainted by the works. Cast in bronze, they really look like driftwood. Despite being somewhat skeletonized, they appear to be alive. Up close the intricate detail reveals itself. Each angle brings a new view and you can find yourself gazing at it for a long time. Butternut as noted is close to the new Stanford Hospital. In and of itself it is not a destination, however, given its proximity to the Cantor, and numerous other art installations, it is best part of a multi stop trip.

Epoch is a public art installation located in the City of Sunnyvale, California. Located on Java…read moreStreet and adjacent to the NetApp headquarters, it is the work of Brad J. Goldberg. Goldberg, a native of Rhode Island, specializes in large outdoor installations. His works can be massive and often incorporate element of the surrounding community into account. From the artist: "Artist Brad Goldberg sees his work as a fusion between sculpture, landscape, and the built environment. Sculptures are seen, not as isolated objects, but rather as spirit-creating components of larger spatial experiences. The desire to work with the environment as a whole allows the creation of a unique non-preconceived response to the total aspect of a place." Epoch is a fantastic instillation. Its composed of three large granite boulders that have been cut in half and arranged in a split fashion. The cut surfaces have been polished smooth and the whole face has been engraved with binary code which reflects the technological aspect of the area. I freely admit that I can still send rudimentary signals with semaphore (Thank you Boy Scouts) but binary code reading is beyond my skill so I have no idea if there is a message in teh code. However, as I was taking a picture of a snail on the surface I noticed that several words were engraved into its surface breaking up the strings of 1 and 0's. The words I found were: Change, Nature, Community, Listen, Integrity, Imagination, Evolve, Substance, See, Chaos, and Craft. The artist intent was to show "words which can be seen to align or conflict with today's technological advancements". If that was his true intent he really hit it spot on. Epoch as noted is located in a technology park and basically surrounded by office space. There is very little in the area beyond this installation and it should be treated as a stop as opposed to an outright destination. There is a light rail station right next to the street for the public tranpost inclined.

The Double Diver is an outdoor art installation located in Sunnyvale, California. The work of…read moreartist Carole A. Feuerman, it was commissioned by and located in front of a Net App Corporation Office. Feuerman is considered one of the pioneers of Hyperrealist style. This style which was derived from Photorealism, really strives to emphasize details and focuses extensive on the subject. From the artists website: "Feuerman seeks to connect with her viewers on an intuitive level, evoking emotion and engagement. It is often the viewer's participation, or the object/viewer relationship, that completes her work." He sculptures are seen around the world and in many major museums. This work is one of her largest outdoor projects to date. The Double Diver was commissioned by Net App in 2012 with a desire to showcase the companies values of integrity, trust, adaptability and teamwork. It is really striking in both scale and the level of detail present in the sculptures. The figures are clearly show their dependent nature on each other. This is my first experience with this particular artist and her detail work is on the level of Rodin (albeit in a different style). The figures are overlapped with rounded scales that enhance and add detail. It does kind of looks very similar (NERD alert) to the movie representations of Mystique's (of XMEN fame, played by Jennifer Lawrence) skin when she is not shapeshifting. They overlap in fascinating patterns. This particular art installation is not really around anything, nor is there other things to do in close proximity. As such it is much better as part of a larger activity. The Bay trail is close by, as are several other large scale outdoor art within a few miles. There might be a eatery tucked away here or there, but they typically only work during office hours so you will need to plan ahead.

Untitled (In Homage to My Father) is a pubic art installation located in the City Of Mountain View…read moreCalifornia. Situated facing the Central Expressway, it is located on a sprawling Google Campus and is the work of sculptor Charles Ginnever. Ginever, was born In San Mateo, California in 1931. In the early 50's he traveled to Paris and learned sculpting. Whats fascinating at least to me is that he and another sculptor, Mark di Suvero.(who's works I have done a review for) ventured from San Francisco to New York in 1957. During that long road trip they both found that the whole abstract expressionism movement was not being expressed in sculpture and both decided to make that a focus. From a discourse on his style: "The Minimalist discourse around materials was pertinent to Ginnever's enterprise, but what he could not accept was the way in which Minimalism, in his view, acquiesced to the determining influence of architectural space. Movement around a Minimalist installation might provide additional information about the work, but not about its essential form, which remains readable from any perspective. Instead of seizing the opportunity to interrogate the influence of the spatial systems that housed it, it had submitted itself to the system without a fight. This was a big problem for Ginnever, who regarded the right angle as an instrument of spatial control, functioning under the (arrogant) assumption that space could or should be controlled. To accept the right angle--and indeed any perspectival "system"--was to accept the idea that rigid spaces and forms were somehow "good" or "right," or even possible. https://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag04/jf04/ginnever/ginnever.shtml " Ginever's work can be seen around the world and sadly many are in private collections thus not viewable to the public. In the 70's and 80's he did a series of sculptures that were "Untitled". Its not clear if he he simply could not find inspiration to name them or it was deliberate. This particular piece was commissioned by the Hewlett Packard Corporation in 1985. As noted it is sited in what is now a major Google Complex. Those long term Mountain View and Palo Alto residents will note that used to be the site (and indeed much of the structure remains) of the old Mayfield Mall. As with most of his work, it is massive and abstract. To me it reminds me a bit of a giant Stalin era tank obstacle you would see on the outskirts of Moscow. The steel has been allowed to rust to and has a nice patina. As with many art installations, this one is more of a stop than a destination. I also recommend that you walk to this particular spot as Google security can be a bit dickish if you try to park there. that being said there is a pedestrian underpass that will lead you to the San Antonio Caltrain Station and the shopping complex that is beyond that. Commuters on the train or on the Central Expressway can also get a clear view of the sculpture as well.