Having this kinetic art piece – that’s huge, that’s lit at night – it’s something so different that no other center can offer, because it’s one-of-a-kind
– John Mehigan, vice president of investments at Regency Centers
Workers started installing Brea’s newest public art piece, “Oasis,” this week. Valued at about $2.5 million, it could be the most expensive public art piece in the county.
Artist Douglas Hollis said he likes to describe the work as more of a public space than a traditional sculpture. “Oasis” will sit at the corner of Imperial Highway and Valencia Avenue, the future crown jewel of the new Village at La Floresta shopping center.
It features aluminum quills over a crescent-shaped seating area. The quills are lit from below and will undulate in the wind.
“It’s more about making a space that people can be within … it’s a multi-sensory, experiential thing,” said Hollis, a San Francisco resident.
The quills add a kinetic element, meant to be reminiscent of grasshopper oil pumps. Hollis, 67, says they also allude to alternate forms of energy.
“It’s kind of a poetic suggestion about a new kind of energy that should be employed,” he said. “They also mimic in a funny way the oil pumps that still proliferate in that area.”
Click here to read full article published by The Orange County Register
