Artist:
Bob Haozous Completion Date: May 1990 Medium: steel sculpture Location: 24th Street, North of Buckeye Funding: Aviation Department Percent for Art Funds Artist Contract Amount: $125,000
A
series of 5 steel sculptures mounted along 24th
Street, just north of Buckeye Road. Each sculpture
depicts a different Native American animal symbol
against a field of airplanes. Four of the sculptures
measure 8' x 8’ while the largest measures
8' x 10'.
Combining inspiration from classical Greek mythology
and Hohokam pottery, the steel sculptures along
24th Street are anything but ordinary. Each image
depicts a theme of flight by joining pictures
of birds with images of planes. The sculptures
are made of cut out steel, allowing sunlight to
pass through as visitors admire them.
All
five of the works take their primary design element
from the painted pottery of the Hohokam people.
The central sculpture combines a Hohokam bird
with an image of a raven derived from a Classical
Greek painting. In Greek mythology, the raven
was associated with a number of attributes, including
light and the sun, which are particularly relevant
to the Phoenix Valley. The final result is a group
of sculptures that greet travelers on the way
to their destination.
About
the Artist
Bob Haozous is from Taos, New Mexico. He is best
known for his whimsical style and witty steel
sculptures that speak of Native American culture.