"Water Henge: H20 = Life" (2009) by Kim Emerson

DESCRIPTION: five-piece expanded-polystyrene cement and painted steel and ceramic tile mosaic sculpture, the largest of which is capped with a steel "sun" sculpture


The following description of this sculptural installation is from Los Angeles County Arts Commission:
"Water Henge: H20 = Life" is five free standing sculptures that together tell the story of water in Cerritos and the Los Angeles Basin through text and images. The artwork is arranged in a circular pattern that encourages visitors to gather and learn. The largest sculpture, oriented true north, features a steel “sun” on top that casts a shadow onto the central sculpture during the spring and fall equinox. The tallest sculpture represents the ocean and the prehistoric life forms found under water millions of years ago. A text tile reads “If you were standing here 40 million years ago, you would be under 5,000 feet of ocean.” The second largest represents the period after the eastern mountain range pushed upward and the area became marshlands where dinosaurs once roamed. The third represents a time when the mountains continued to push upward drying the landscape creating a flat field ideal for migrating animals. The fourth represents the rain-shadow desert which had abundant plant life, including wild barley, oats and grapes as well as willow, oak and sycamore trees. The smallest sculpture features the four cardinal directions and a mirror image of the “sun” atop sculpture one."
LOCATION: Cerritos Regional County Park, corner of Bloomfield Avenue and 195th Street, Cerritos, California, USA

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