"How rich art is; if one can only remember what one has seen, one is never without food for thought or truly lonely, never alone."-Vincent Van Gogh
Berkeley is a town filled with art. There are murals, and commissioned art pieces and sculptures all over the city, and on the Cal Berkeley college campus. In fact, there are over 40 pieces of art that cover the grounds of the university. Sculptures of all different images and ideas. There are gods and goddesses, abstracts and, of course, there are many different bear sculptures that pay homage to the school mascot a golden bear named Oski. They are all truly fascinating, but it is this sculpture in particular that I enjoy looking at the most, and my eyes goes right to it every time I pass it. It is called "Rotante Dal Foro Centrale," and was created by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, who has placed variations of this work throughout the world including the United Nations in New York.
Originally the globe sat at the University Art Museum,but during the building's renovation it was moved to a spot near the western gate to the university. According to the university landscape architect, Jim Horner,the globe draws attention and inquiries as to what it's meaning may be. Some have even speculated that it is a memorial to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The sculpture was created in 1968, when the artist was teaching as a professor of art at Cal Berkeley.
It is a wonderful sculpture that brings a different emotion to me every time I view it. Sometimes a smile when I will see someone walk past it and tilt their head, or a when I see children peeking through it's center to their friends standing on the other side. It is fun to watch others enjoying art and contemplating it. Sometimes I wonder which is more interesting, to me, the art itself or the reactions others have to it. Either way, art is supposed to provoke emotion in those who view it, and this particular piece certainly does that for me.
"Rotante Dal Foro Centrale"
University Of California Campus Berkeley
Berkeley, California
November 24th, 2005
Late Afternoon
To see other works by this artist click here.
