Artist: Peter Mitten
The Visual Garden, located on the north side of the building at the corner of Mission and Alvarado, includes the Owl sculpture and the Time Capsule buried on the day of the Grand Opening, January 22, 2011.
The fence and gate for the garden needed to be a planar “field” of imagery, and the artist chose flat leaf and avocado shapes, as if one was looking through a canopy of an avocado grove.
This is a familiar sight to most people who know Fallbrook, and satisfied the structural and safety requirements for a functional barrier. The work is cut from steel, stretching slightly over 10 feet from end to end, with an (approx.) 3′ gate included.
The finish is a rust color, complementing the colors chosen for the building, and makes a lovely silhouette of space and steel shape.
Artist: Christopher Pardell
The design for “Turning Page Trellis” was inspired by one of the most achingly beautiful lines with which everyone is familiar — that iconic line formed, when a book lays open, by the drape of a page; so sweetly evocative of everything associated with civilization and society, with both tradition and with change. An elegant and elemental line that calls to mind the wonder and growth we find in each new chapter of our lives.
We look to literature, to books, to travel in time, to connect with our past and imagine the future. To find our place, to learn a skill, to make ourselves anew…
Libraries are the places where minds meet, where the experiences and expressions of other’s become our own. The turn of a page holds so much promise, so much mystery… What shall we learn? Who shall we become?
“Art Of Knowledge” by Robin Vojak
The stoneware ceramic floor mural in the Poet’s Patio was inspired by the sophisticated contemporary feeling of the library architecture, art work, and sculpture. Rusty brown and golden yellow as well as aqua greens and blues along with the natural color of the cast bronze are colors replicated in nature as well as complementary to the building and permanent artwork.
The tile used for the mural is a high-fire stoneware clay body. It is very dense and durable. Each piece was hand cut. Special attention was made to the creating of the design to minimize the amount of negative space. The glaze colors are a combination of matte and gloss finishes that work well withthe slight textures found in parts of the design.
As in the case with so much of the library’s art, we are fortunate to have a gifted local artist’s work showcased. Robin Vojak and her husband, Cy, worked as a team to bring this lovely addition to our library. Cy did all the deconstruction and reconstruction necessary for the base of the work and Robin designed the mosaic, crafted the tiles and installed the art piece.
Artist: James Hubbell
Because James Hubbell believes that libraries are one of civilization’s great inventions fostering sharing, community and democracy, he was pleased to fashion his fourth library art installation for the Fallbrook Library.
Playing on the architecture in a friendly way his design, using metal on the gate and glass and natural tiles on the wall just outside the patio, marks it as an entrance that does not compete with the main entrance.
It is his hope that in time the entrance will be given a story and a name that will come from those who enter.
Artist: Don Rambadt
This sculpture began as an exercise in simplicity. The challenge I presented myself was to represent an owl using as few pieces of metal as possible, while still creating a sense of balance and tension throughout the entire sculpture. My hope was that by combining the recognizable image of the Owl, with the monumental scale of the work, I could encourage the viewer to spend some time exploring the more subtle, abstract compositions that reveal themselves as one moves around the piece. Much as the title or cover of a book invites the reader to open themselves to the endless possibilities presented within.
The Owl is located in the Visual Garden just outside the northwest corner of the library.
