Sunday, April 05, 2009

Mystery artwork

On Friday when we went to PSU, we walked down Broadway to the PSU Urban Center. Along the way there were sculptures in the parking strips that I had never seen before.


The first one I noticed was across the street. Then all along both sides of the street for several blocks.

Are they cast concrete, or carved stone? I couldn't tell, but each was a wonderful surprise. They made me think of sea creatures or things seen through a microscope, and of course I was very drawn to the repeating patterns.

This is my son-in-law getting a closer look.





That round one on the right above—I want one just like that one!

There was no information about them, that I could see. When we got home I googled every combination I could come up with to see if I could find out more about them and found nothing. Who made them? How long have they been there? (If someone tells me they've been there for years, I'll feel like a fool!) Whatever, whoever, whenever—I loved them!

5 comments:

  1. Most of them have such an industrial look to them.
    They almost look like someone has taken fans, car or airplane parts and painted them with stone texture paint.
    I love them.
    K

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  2. they're really great looking. Like things you would see while looking into a tidepool.

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  3. The sculptures are stunning and obviously very tactile. Love the flowering cherry tree.

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  4. Maybe they're desiccated aliens waiting for a good rain to re-hydrate them -- and then they will take over the city (or maybe just use their powers for good and encourage a trend of good, clean design for public spaces).

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  5. Anonymous7:09 PM

    They look like diatoms to me. There are some interesting pictures at the bottom of this site.
    http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/diatom.html
    Of course that doesn't solve the problem of who and when.

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