Artist Anne Marie Karlsen’s beautiful floor-to-ceiling glass artwork is the focal point of a glass-clad corridor in a new County library in the South Bay community of Lawndale. The work creates a dominant presence from both the inside and outside of the library. During the day, the glass casts color-filled shadows across the library’s interior, at night, the backlit window glows in color from the exterior and is visible from nearby Hawthorne Boulevard. Karlsen was inspired by the mid-century modern design of the new building and its similarity to painter Piet Mondrian’s geometric division of spaces into rhythmic squares and rectangles. As Karlsen researched the history of the community, she found maps of Lawndale when it was being subdivided for residential lots. The patterns of the street layouts reminded the artist of the architectural patterns that had inspired her. Karlsen worked with the Lawndale Historical Society to identify 24 historic photos that document local buildings, community members, cultural landmarks and events. Using the photographs, Karlsen created eight distinct yet related geometric patterns of blues, greens and yellows. Each pattern is an intricate reconfiguration of two or three collaged photographs, digitally manipulated to create a kaleidoscope effect. Upon close reading, elements of a historic photo, like a church steeple, can be seen though at times it might appear upside down or skewed. From a distance, the patterns appear abstract. Each pattern is repeated twice in the artwork. The entire 20´ tall x 15´ wide artwork is both a tribute to the community and a stunning work of contemporary art. “The artwork acknowledges the past,” says Karlsen, “yet envisions a new, bold design for the future. Up close the images are readable, like a history book.” Franz Mayer of Munich fabricated the work.