Two Clouds
PROJECT OVERVIEW
As part of the City’s on-going commitment to the arts, the San Jose Public Art Program commissioned artist Cliff Garten to collaborate with the community in the development of artwork for the Tully Branch Library. The artist created two cloud-like sculptures positioned over the foyer and the Internet Café. One “cloud” consists of cast aluminum braches reminiscent of orchard trees, which also alludes to a technological network. The second “cloud” is created from hundreds of cast aluminum apricots and human figures that form topography evocative of the hills surrounding the city. The repetitive patterns of the figures and fruit define atmospheric volumes forming a ceiling, or cloud, above. The landscape appears to move and shift as the viewer changes location in the library. The juxtaposition of agriculture and technological references addresses the ambiguity of an agricultural past and technological future.