Client: LNR Lennar Corporation

Overview

Copper spiral sculpture, 8' X 48' with cut-out images of Chumash Native American and astronomical symbols in Woodland Hills, CA. The site is close to a rock formation near Rocketdyne Corporation that has the largest intact body of Chumash pictograms. Certain symbols are illuminated when a shaft of sunlight enters the cave during the winter solstice. This sculpture sits in the courtyard between two new office buildings, and the cut-out images are reflected on the ground when the sun is out.

Goals

This was a percent for art public art project. I was contacted by the architects, Liz Kern from Poliquin Kellogg Design Group,who had seen my previous work. I chose to honor the hidden histories of the site and to honor the Chumash presence in that history.

Process

Initially, I worked with the architect in the creation of artwork for the interior walls of the two office buildings. She designed the walls to house the integrated copper photo panels and copper inlays that I designed. The director of Griffith Park Observatory, who has authored books on archeo-astronomy, also provided me with source material.

Additional Information

The title of this project, Sky Coyote, is the Chumash name for the North Star.