"As my artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of…read moredeep significance."―Calvin San José has a long line of, shall we say, questionable Public Art (PA) projects; everybody knows about the giant dog turd statue Quetzalcoatl―or as I like to call him Quetzacaca ( goo.gl/lvswBr )―in the Plaza de César Chávez. Let's also not forget the Fallon Statue debacle ( goo.gl/wKEv0g )―and don't get me started on the mangled shopping carts (goo.gl/vbB6NE) passing for a statue on the corner of Alma Ave and Almaden Rd. Need I go on?! So, whenever CSJ does something right I love to point it out. I first read about Ursa Mater (aka Mama Penny Bear) in the Merc from my buddy Sal Pizarro's column. Ursa Mater is a gigantic piece of coin art that was put together by Hayward-based artists Mr & Mrs Ferguson. She first made an appearance at last year's Burning Man festival and is now prominently displayed in Paseo de San Antonio―just east of Plaza de César Chávez, right by Bijan Bakery. The statue of Mama Bear and her two cubs sits at least 10-12' tall and is completely covered in 200,000 pennies ($2,000 worth) to make up the bears fur. It's pretty cool to look at from afar, and even cooler up close. I suggest getting here quickly to check her out, as she will only be on display until the end of May. And then we'll be back to staring at Quetzacaca forever. FOL...

I like to think that these represent the bear on the California flag. The name Ursa Mater…read more Is an excellent play on words by the artist. Ursa Major is Latin for "greater she bear" So Ursa Mater translates roughly to "She bear of matter" ( I only understand a very small amount of Latin so this may or may not be the exact translation). The bear and her cub are made of pennies so it seems the artist's intention was to make a realistic mother bear out of " matter" , hence the name. Also behind the pennies is a concrete core. It's as if these bears have a real fur made out of metal. As the previous reviewer said, there are are a lot of bad San Jose art pieces, but this one is fantastic. Just an edit: it seems to be gone now. Very sad.

Lupe the Mammoth is a cool (not so) little structure on the Guadalupe River Trail about 4 miles…read morefrom Alviso. There's not much around the area, so unless you are biking or jogging on the trail, it might seem out of the way to view such a simple little-known monument. But it has a neat little story behind it for anyone interested in art, science, history, or nature, or even just cool quirky attractions that are free of cost. A guy came across the collection of bones while walking his dog along the trail back in 2005. How awesome is that, it's like finding a dinosaur in your backyard! The actual remains can now be found at the Childrens Discovery Museum in San Jose where they can inspire kids to "dig for fossils" and explore the past, but the unique sculpture on the Guadalupe River Trail marks the setting of this magnificent discovery. And it is far from ordinary. It's beautifully crafted out of bent steel pipes, and almost twice the size of the actual baby mammoth remains. The area and the exhibit itself are not run down by trash or graffiti or shady characters, so it makes for a pleasant experience and worth checking out. The area is actual pretty quiet and scenic, besides the Trimble Road highway (there's an underpass that connects the trail if you're looking to cross the busy street). It's surrounded by business parks, with private parking only. So there is no parking at the exact location of the mammoth statue. However if you're driving, there is free street parking on Seaboard Ave (6am-10pm), next to the nearby 76 gas station, within walking distance... Though the sculpture can easily be viewed from Trimble Road, please don't stop on the street (illegally) and block traffic. This isn't the most exciting attraction in San Jose so you shouldn't have too high of expectations. But if looking for a low-key outing that won't cost you a penny, this is a great option (to appreciate this work of art in person, not just through photos).

Columbia mammoth spotted along the Guadeloupe Trail! Ok, actually it is only the whiff of a memory…read moreof a memory locked in a skeleton fossil over 12,500 years old. A sculpture of a mammoth made of what looks like curved metal bars sits under a tree waving at commuting cars trundling along the street. It is massive and I think quite cool. I hope the city makes it a habit of putting more sculptures and works of art along the trail. There is a small information board that gives you the low-down on Lupe, her discovery, and how old it is. A cool snippet of one of the coolest cousin to elephants that used to wander in Silicone Valley in the Pleistocene period. Tres cool! The large metal structure isn't in the best location, but can easily be visited by joggers, walkers and bicyclists wandering along the Guadeloupe trail where is passes through the city of Santa Clara.

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.

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.

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

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.

Unity is six interlocking steel rings created by abstract expressionist sculptor Bruce Beasley…read more commissioned by the city of Fremont at a cost of $206,000, Unity is 22 feet tall, 33 feet by 33 feet, weighs 3700 pounds. the view from all angles is similar. while it can mean anything that is interconnected thru common bonds, Beasley states Unity represents the synergy of Fremont, it's residents, the elected government, the city staff, the businesses & the physical environment. Bruce Beasley creates art works displayed all over the world.

This sculpture has an intricate seek & find pattern showing elements of Asian positivity. Enjoy…read morefinding the hidden imagery! The Key shown in the attached photo allows one to locate everything within. Have fun in celebrating Asian culture!

This is a fairly new sculpture by Roger White Stoller, a 2021 art piece that looks brand new…read moregleaming in the sunlight, located at Heinlenville Park in Japantown (a park that's new as well). I'm familiar with one of his other artworks, Tetrahelix, in Mountain View, and the similarities are easily recognizable, yet the meanings behind the works are unique. The stainless steel Sheltering Wing combines different images beautifully in its design, including bamboo, lotus, butterflies, wind, and clouds, in honor of the Chinese and Japanese cultures, as well as John Heinlen, a German immigrant and landowner who welcomed Chinese immigrants from one of SJ's 5 Chinatowns that burned down in the 1880's. He helped them rebuild their community and established Heinlenville, SJ's longest lasting and final Chinatown, which ceased to exist in 1931 due to anti-Chinese immigration laws and the Great Depression. The site is located in what today is Japantown. Sheltering Wing is more than just a sculpture, it's a wonderful display of art, culture, and history.

So beautiful at night!…read more Several of the uprights and downlight are broken on the Aurus sculpture, which makes it look not as nice as its sibling across the street. Notice in the photo there is only the southern downright working; northern downlighting was broken. Also 3 out of 4 uprights were broken.

Auras is an outdoor art installation located in the City of Sunnyvale, California. Located on…read moreBordeaux Drive and in the middle of a large office complex, the sculpture is the work of artist Cliff Garten. Garten, who is based out of Venice, California, has not only a Masters of Fine Arts (sculpture) but also a Masters in Landscape Architecture (Harvard) which he uses to incorporate his designs into the environment in which they are placed. From the artist: " There is a latent potential in every public place and situation to become more than the specific functions it appears to perform. Public and private experiences are never distinct, but exchange places throughout the day. My search for a place where desire intersects with our everyday activity is the search for sculptural forms which engage us in the poetry of our own actions and define our personal and social histories. The necessary facts of our public infrastructure are cause for the possibility of a public expression through the conscious design and integration of art. Sculpture defines our interaction and movement by creating energy between things, generating interest in public activity, reframing our private lives and creating a sense of place within public and private realms." Working in a variety of mediums, the vast majority of his work focus on large public installations and can be seen around the world. Auras (the plural form) is appropriate because this installation features two of the sculptures. One on either side of the street. They are slight offset in relation to each other. Both are nearly identical to my eye and feature sort of a basket within a basket form. Made of stainless steel the interlocking lattice has a very cool effect on the light patterns that filter through. Apparently at nigh they are lit with multiple colors which I was unable to observe. Aside from the pleasing patterns, there was very little in the way of contemplation one would find with say an abstract sculpture. However, there was a sort of relaxing quality in their symmetry. Auras as noted is kind of in a remote location and is better off as a single stop as opposed to a destination. There are several other art installations nearby (I'm slowly getting to all of them), but little in the way of other infrastructure nearby unless you are working at one of the building in the area.