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Pine Tree Obelisk

In Afternoon Shade
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The sculpture is a tile covered obelisk that rose 12 feet (3.6 meters) above a knoll in the southwest corner of the park. By mid afternoon, it was already shaded by tall buildings surrounding this park.

The theme of this sculpture is the three levels of nature. Sea life at the bottom, with crabs and lobsters, a pine tree on the land, and seagulls in the sky.


Pine Tree Obelisk, Ceramic tile and steel 1987   •  Joan Brown, Figurative Painter, 1938 to 1990   •  Sydney G Walton Square, San Francisco, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 23 September 2010)   •  (Photo taken 15:56:12 Saturday 18 September 2010)   •  © 2010 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #155612_7785BCX
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The Sign
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The obelisk stood on a concrete base. The sign identifying it, which was attached to that concrete, read:

Joan Brown
Pine Tree Obelisk
1987


Pine Tree Obelisk, Ceramic tile and steel 1987   •  Joan Brown, Figurative Painter, 1938 to 1990   •  Sydney G Walton Square, San Francisco, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 23 September 2010)   •  (Photo taken 15:56:34 Saturday 18 September 2010)   •  © 2010 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #155634_7786BCX
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The Crab
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Detail of the crab on the eastern face of the obelisk. Notice that the grout outlining the crab is the same as the background's grout, but that a different grout separated the crab's body sections.


Pine Tree Obelisk, Ceramic tile and steel 1987   •  Joan Brown, Figurative Painter, 1938 to 1990   •  Sydney G Walton Square, San Francisco, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 23 September 2010)   •  (Photo taken 15:56:40 Saturday 18 September 2010)   •  © 2010 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #155640_7787BCX
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The Pine Tree
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The pine tree that gave its name to this obelisk. Notice the amazing shading and shadow work done in tile that made this pine tree much more complex than initially meets the eye. Go ahead, click on the image to enlarge it.


Pine Tree Obelisk, Ceramic tile and steel 1987   •  Joan Brown, Figurative Painter, 1938 to 1990   •  Sydney G Walton Square, San Francisco, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 23 September 2010)   •  (Photo taken 15:57:06 Saturday 18 September 2010)   •  © 2010 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #155706_7789BCX
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Seagulls
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Two idealized common gulls flew attached to the top of the obelisk. Notice also the use of colors in the bands wrapping the obelisk just above and just below the birds.


Pine Tree Obelisk, Ceramic tile and steel 1987   •  Joan Brown, Figurative Painter, 1938 to 1990   •  Sydney G Walton Square, San Francisco, California   •  (Photo posted Thursday 23 September 2010)   •  (Photo taken 15:57:10 Saturday 18 September 2010)   •  © 2010 Bryan Costales Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License #155710_7790BCX
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