Towering over Phoenix’s Civic Space Park is a suspended, monumental web of light and color, arguably best viewed by night. The enormous piece of public art is titled Her Secret is Patience, and makes a striking impression, whether you’re seeing it for the first time or the hundredth. Today, we explore the work and artistry behind one of Phoenix’s most notable pieces of public art, Her Secret is Patience.
Completed in 2009, the monumental installation was the vision by artist and sculptor Janet Echelman in collaboration with global, award-winning teams of engineers, architects, planners and fabricators. The multi-layered form is secured from five points, suspending 38 feet from the ground. Echelman credits inspiration to the surrounding nature, from Arizona’s distinctive monsoon cloud formations to saguaro flowers.
The sculpture consists of painted, galvanized steel, polyester twine netting and colored lights that change gradually with the seasons, transforming to cool hues in the summer and warmer in the winter. The specialized lighting gives off a unique glow, creating an otherworldly sense of whimsy in the middle of Phoenix. During the day, the structure casts intricate shadows from the Arizona sun. The creative team and work itself have garnered a handful of awards for their inventive process and impactful impression on the Phoenix art scene.
Like our own work in Arizona, Her Secret is Patience takes cues from nature to create something extraordinary. Its name even stems from the same source; Ralph Waldo Emerson’s full quote reads, “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
On a fall day in October of 1974, Chicago unveiled a majestic new piece of public art: a grand steel archway in a striking red color. Alexander Calder’s Flamingo officially made its mark on Chicago’s Federal Plaza, and has been an icon ever since. In honor of the sculpture’s debut, October 25, 1974 was dubbed “Alexander Calder Day,” and featured a circus parade to celebrate the artist’s great contribution to the city and to the greater world of art.
Although Alexander Calder Day officially occurred 46 years ago, Calder’s impact is still monumental, both in Chicago and around the globe. Alexander Calder’s legacy includes collections at notable museums around the world, large scale public works and a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Gerald Ford (although the Calder family boycotted the ceremony). And Flamingo has its fair share of fame as well (even earning a scene in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off).
Whether it’s his work hanging in our own buildings or his impactful public artwork, we hold Calder’s work and legacy in high honor. From our team at Optima, Happy (slightly belated) Alexander Calder day!
Art plays a large role in our lives — from influencing our approach to Modernist design to transforming the spaces that we create. The repertoire of artists whose work hangs in Optima buildings is expansive, from Pablo Picasso to Joan Miro, and today, we’re spotlighting another one of our great featured artists: Paul Klee.
The Life of Paul Klee
Paul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland in 1879 to a German father, inheriting his father’s German citizenship at birth. Klee’s father was a talented music teacher who passed on his knowledge to Klee. By age eleven, Klee’s proficiency at violin was so impressive that he was invited to join the Bern Music Association.
Klee’s creative proficiency extended to the visual arts. And while he pursued music per his parents’ wishes, by his teenage years, a desire to rebel and to seek his true passion led him to studying art.
The Work of Paul Klee
Though Klee kept diaries in his early years that included many caricature drawings, he began art school struggling with color theory and painting. As he continued evolving his style, Klee’s humor heavily influenced his work, which began leaning towards the absurd and sarcastic.
Over the years, Klee’s work has been categorized as Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism and Absurdism. But his unique point of view, which incorporates geometric forms and a raw, childlike quality, set him apart from his peers. Klee taught at the Bauhaus school from 1921-1931, and the termination of his teaching role segued him into his most vivacious period of creation, where he created upwards of 500 works in one year.
Paul Klee’s Garden View at Optima Signature
From his extensive exploration of color theory to his pioneering and childlike style, Paul Klee is an influential artist whose influence spans far beyond his lifestyle.
Artwork at Optima is a huge part of our love of design, and what makes our spaces special at every turn. Recently, we sat down with Ellison Keomaka, an artist whose work appears throughout some of our Arizona properties, to discuss his process, his sources of inspiration and his relationship with Optima.
Tell us a bit about your background. Where does your passion for art stem from? How did you first get started as an artist?
I believe everyone is creative in their own way, and mine happens to be visual arts. I’ve had many interests and endeavors over the years, but I always enjoyed doing my own thing and set out pretty young to start my artistic career. I started off drawing vehicles, eventually navigating away from that and into comic-style artwork. Every piece paves the way for new ideas in the next creation. My style has changed quite a bit over the years and evolved with my experiences in life.
B.E.V. by Ellison Keomaka
What are your preferred mediums? How do 2-D and 3-D spaces interact within your pieces?
I used to be very into realism, and I used a lot of airbrush and classic techniques. As an artist, I wanted to use more of the material found in the world around me. From soil found in distant countries to fabrics found at a craft store, I’m always searching for the next textural combination that makes something interesting. It’s fun to see these materials, textures and artifacts and make them come together in a 2-D space.
An example would be my use of vintage magazines and articles. In one of the Optima paintings, — Present Future Past — there are magazine articles from 1938, a dishtowel, watchband and wooden cutouts pressed into the piece.
How does color play a part in your work?
In my earlier works, there were more dark colors. As I developed my style, I recognized the value of color in changing human emotion. When you look at specific colors or shapes, they cause you to feel something or spark inspiration. All of that makes color an infinite playground for an artist to create.
How did you get involved with Optima?
Around 2016, I was eating lunch across from Optima Kierland while it was under construction — and it just looked so wildly different from anything else in Phoenix. I enjoy architecture, and Optima’s aesthetic caught my eye. Fast forward, and I ended up moving in there. They were looking for resident events, and I offered to do an art show; I hosted three across Optima Sonoran Village and Optima Kierland Apartments. The Optima team saw my work, and we started having conversations about commissioning pieces for 7180 Optima Kierland.
I was fortunate to have full creative reign on the layouts of each piece, which allowed me to take creative risks and challenge myself. I would consider the Optima series of paintings to be my best body of work to represent myself because each one is unique and tailor-made to fit in those spaces.
Present Future Past by Ellison Keomaka
Give us some details on a favorite piece of yours at Optima. What was the inspiration behind that particular piece? How does it fit into the space at Optima?
Suppose I had to pick a favorite piece —which is always a challenge — I resonate most with Present Future Past. It has a real impact on the viewer with the contrast between the bright blue on the bottom and the upper half’s antique design. While the fluorescent pink line emits excitement of the future, the top presents a juxtaposition of a rugged, forgotten past. This painting aims to inspire us to be present, calm and grateful for occupying this time and space.
Keomaka’s color-filled, vibrant artwork mirrors the same inspired emotions that we search for in our built environment. As with all of the artwork that adorns our walls, his work tells a series of unique stories that speak to everyone who passes through our spaces. Optima certainly wouldn’t be the same without them.
Modernism is one of our cornerstones at Optima; it informs everything from our designs to our methodologies. And though the movement is often talked about in reference to architecture, art, sculpture and interior design, Modernism also had a significant impact on graphic art. Today, we’ll dive into Modernist graphic design and its impact on visual communications.
Changes in Vienna
By the end of the 19th century, artists were growing tired of traditional, conservative forms of art. In Vienna, a group of artists led by Gustav Klimtdubbed themselves the Vienna Secession and broke away from the artistic institutions in Austria’s capital at the time. The group explored uncharted territory in form, composition and expression, sparking similar experimentations in other nearby countries such as France and Germany. Rich paint strokes and realism translated into flat color and stylistic typography, expressions that would pave the way for graphic art.
Army recruiting poster, designed by James Montgomery Flagg, 1917. Image in public domain.
The World at War
When World War I began, graphic design was already used for commercial, corporate and aesthetic purposes. Its new role would be political, used in posters and propaganda during the war. Advancements in mass color printing allowed for efficient production of messages to raise funds, encourage enlistment and boost morale. The turmoil and challenges faced in both World Wars would ultimately inspire the first wave of true Modernism within graphic design.
Poster designed by Herbert Bayer, 1930. Credit: kitchener.lord on Flickr Creative Commons, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed
Modern Experiments
Across Europe and in America, graphic designers took inspiration from broader artistic movements such as Cubism, Futurism, De Stijil and Surrealism. In Germany, the Bauhaus movement also had a significant impact on graphic design; thick lines, primary colors and disrupting white space were just as striking in 2-D format as they were in architecture or sculpture. Eventually, Modernist design was defined by abstract expression, bold type and primary colors and shapes. These designers approached the work objectively, emphasizing the rational over the expressive (and emphasizing the classic Modernist belief that form follows function).
As the Nazis rose to power in the 1930s, Modernist experiments in all practices were denounced, and many artists, architects and designers immigrated to the United States. Although Modernist design was disrupted in its growth, it remains one of the most impactful movements in the history of graphic design. Even our own website has elements of Modernist designs with asymmetry, primary colors and bold typography. Every facet of Modernism inspires what we do, from architecture and sculpture, to the graphic arts.
Our reverence for sculpture and for the cities in which we operate collide to create a deep appreciation for the public art of Chicago. And as we explore the craft in the city we love, we’re doing deep dives into famous public works from downtown to vibrant neighborhood pockets. This week, it’s all about Joan Miro’s Chicago.
History of Miro’s Chicago
This iconic sculpture by iconic artist Joan Miro was first titled The Sun, The Moon and One Star but is known now as Miro’s Chicago. Originally, Miro was commissioned by Brunswick Corporation in 1969 to design a sculpture, but the project halted when Brunswick withdrew funding. In 1979, Chicago’s first female mayor Jane Byrne reinvigorated the project, promising to fund the first half of the project if others would commit to funding the second half. Together, foundations, institutions and individuals rallied to commit that final stretch of funding, and Miro himself reduced the cost of construction by completely donating his design to the city. It’s only appropriate, then, that Miro’s Chicago is an iconic fixture in the city, as it was brought to fruition by collaborative and impassioned locals.
Visiting Miro’s Chicago
The sculpture is tucked modestly away in a narrow plaza between the Cook County Administration Building and the Chicago Temple Building in Chicago’s downtown financial district. The plaza, known as Brunswick Plaza, is directly south of the Daley Center and nearly directly south of another iconic Chicago public art piece, the Chicago Picasso.
Miro’s Chicago, in its modest and peaceful crevice downtown, makes for a serene location for local workers to have lunch outside. The concrete, bronze and ceramic tile façade towers to almost 40 feet tall, and its curving figure has earned the nickname “Miss Chicago.” The large pedestal beneath the sculpture invites passerby to sit and marvel — either at the statue above, or the striking Chicago architecture even farther above. As a piece of public art, it does exactly what we at Optima know and love sculpture for: it elicits an emotional experience from its viewer, while activating the incredible architectural space around it.
As devout fans of Modernism, at Optima we love to experiment with form and function. That’s how Optima Co-Founder David Hovey Sr. got into sculpture. Combining his love of art with his interest in materials, David Hovey Sr. began manipulating steel to create striking sculptural pieces that play complement to Optima’s architectural spaces. Today, we’re examining one of his sculptures: Silver Fern.
Silver Fern in the 7160 tower at Optima Kierland Apartments
Like all original Optima sculptures, Silver Fern is a piece that has many versions, varying in both size and color. But what never changes is the form of the piece: Silver Fern is a uniquely two-dimensional sculpture. Silver Fern’s two-dimensionality allows the sculpture to explore the nature of a flat piece of steel, given depth through other experimental plays. The smooth piece of steel is laser cut with circles and triangles that create depth through shadows and voids. Meanwhile, jagged edges and sharp corners play perfect juxtaposition to the soft, sweeping curve of the steel, further illuminating the material’s multifaceted ways of being.
Silver Fern at 7180 Optima Kierland
The sculpture’s many adaptable forms play perfectly in our various communities. In the 7160 tower at Optima Kierland Apartments, two iterations of Silver Fern pose side-by-side, one in brilliant orange and one in striking yellow, their curves blending together to create an undulating pattern. The sculptures are seen through the front glass curtain wall by anyone walking up through the courtyard, activating the space with energy from the get-go. Meanwhile at 7180 Optima Kierland, a Silver Fern piece swathed in neon green plays bold contrast to Modernist red chairs in the lobby.
Whether we’re experimenting with form, function, size or color — at Optima we love to playfully implement sculpture as yet another component of thoughtful design.
Piet Mondrian is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists and theoreticians of the 20th century. His boldly abstract works exemplified the pinnacle of Modernism’s bare bones, so much so that design historian Stephen Bayley once said, “Mondrian has come to mean Modernism.” Just what shaped Mondrian’s mindset, and what led him to the farthest reaches of abstract art?
The Life (and Work) of Piet Mondrian
Piet Mondrian (Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan) was born in the Netherlands in 1872 into a strict Protestant upbringing. His life was tinged with spirituality even after he left his religious childhood in favor of art school at the Academy for Fine Art in Amsterdam in 1892. His art began as heavily inspired by the surrounding Dutch landscape and impressionist style, including subjects like windmills, rivers and fields. These representational works had Mondrian dabbling in pointillism and the vivid colors of Fauvism.
Throughout the early 20th century, his style evolved to depict abstract trees in broad, sweeping fields. In these paintings, he began experimenting with primary color palettes and emphasizing form over content. In 1908, Mondrian encountered theosophicalism, and this continued search for spiritualism in many philosophies greatly influenced his artistic thinking moving forward.
Composition en rouge, jaune, bleu et noir, Piet Mondrian, 1921. Photo in Public Domain.
Once Mondrian moved to Paris in 1911, he became fascinated with the avant-garde. Influenced by Picasso and George Braque, his paintings began to lean towards geometric shapes and interlocking planes, naturally absorbing Cubist influence. From there, the iconic Mondrian pieces emerged that we’re all so familiar with. His renowned style appeared in 1920, with bold lines and geometric shapes filled with vibrantly hued primary colors (hues which he always mixed himself).
Even after Mondrian left Paris in 1938 to escape rising facism, he continued to refine his geometric, abstract compositions in London and New York, where he lived out the rest of his life. His celebration of simplicity and form was more than just an art form — it was a philosophy. In his own words, Mondrian described it:
I believe it is possible that, through horizontal and vertical lines constructed with awareness, but not with calculation, led by high intuition, and brought to harmony and rhythm, these basic forms of beauty, supplemented if necessary by other direct lines or curves, can become a work of art, as strong as it is true.
As we continue to explore Chicago’s public art, we recognize and celebrate that sculpture comes in all shapes, forms and purposes. Today, we’re exploring an iconic Chicago fixture, oft-overlooked in the medium: Millennium Park’s Crown Fountain. Alongside being the perfect place to cool off on a hot summer day in the city — or to people watch — Crown Fountain is a fascinating and experimentally expressive work of sculptural art.
Designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, Crown Fountain consists of two fifty-foot glass block towers at opposite ends of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video footage of faces, collected from 1,000 different Chicago residents, and spurt water from an outlet in the screen centered on the video projections’ mouths. The interactive sculpture is a reference to the traditional use of gargoyles, often used as the source of water projects in fountains, where the mythical creatures’ eruption of water symbolizes giving life. Overall, construction took six months and cost $17 million, adding Crown Fountain to Chicago’s collection of world-renowned public art in July of 2004.
The video footage of the faces projected was a collaborative project between the artist, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and Columbia College Chicago (CCC). 75 ethnic, social and religious organizations were asked to nominate individuals for the project, and those individuals were then filmed by SAIC students using professional-grade equipment. Filming the footage was such an intensive process that it became an informal master’s course in public art. Overall, 1,051 subjects were filmed and 960 subjects’ footage is utilized for the sculpture.
Crown Fountain was inevitably one of Millennium Park’s most controversial installations. Many were worried that the height of the towers would interrupt the architecture of the public park. Yet the sculpture won its place in the public heart with its quirkiness and comfort, inviting all to laugh and play with it. Crown Fountain’s legacy, like the legacy of Chicago, is one that celebrates community, playfulness, art and innovation.
At Optima, our appreciation for sculpture runs deep, with Optima co-founder David Hovey Sr. expanding the design reach of Optima to include his own original sculptures. Indulging in our love for the craft, we’re exploring Chicago’s public art, piece-by-piece. This week, it’s all about Agora, by Polish sculptor and fiber artist Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017).
Agora
It’s hard to miss the sculpture Agora, prominently displayed on the southwest side of Grant Park in Chicago. The 106-foot tall creation consists of a cluster of headless, walking figures, each made out of hollow and faded cast iron that was crafted in a Polish foundry. The artwork invites viewers to walk through the figures and contemplate. The figures themselves appear to be milling about in a crowd, all aimed in different directions.
The name Agora is a reference to the urban meeting places of Ancient Greek city states. The artist, Abakanowicz, grew up during World War II with an intense fear of crowds, and that claustrophobia is reflected in her work. Inspired, or rather horrified by, the groupthink of that time and Soviet rule, Abakanowicz brought the sculpture to life. She began working on creating large headless figures in the 1970s, using burlap and resin before the final cast iron form, and the sculpture was formally installed in Chicago in 2006.
Agora is Magdalena Abakanowicz’s largest permanent installation. However, she’s well known for her other textile sculptures and biomorphic forms, the most famous of which are her Abakans creations. The overwhelming response to her Abakans is what launched her to an international art spotlight, where she’s now regarded as one of Poland’s most internationally acclaimed artists.
We’re honored to celebrate the innovation, creativity, work and life of Magdalena Abakanowicz, a phenomenal woman and artist.
