Pueblo Bonito
Collection: Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD)
1977
Cor-Ten Steel
Location:
Knox Park, Charles Ginnever, Pueblo Bonito, 1977
229 S Heights Blvd.
Houston, TX 77007
About the Artwork:
Pueblo Bonito (1977)
by Charles Ginnever
Sculptor Charles Albert Ginnever, born in San Mateo, CA in 1931, was known for his large, abstract steel sculptures that welcome viewers to explore them from different angles to make their own interpretations. This 15-foot-high and 30-foot-wide sculpture is in Knox Park and made from COR-TEN (weathering) steel, a steel alloy that develops a rusted patina over time; the patina is the protective oxide film on the sculpture that provides corrosion resistance. It is made up of 5/8-inch-thick steel pieces that form six “legs” which meet at the top. As the sculpture curves, the legs fan apart and are separated at the bottom. Each of the steel surfaces are smooth and have been left untreated to allow weathering and create an aged look. The title, “Pueblo Bonito,” may be a reference to a great house in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico built by the Ancestral Puebloans between AD 828 and 1126. This would make the sculpture part a series by Ginnever with artworks that also have names inspired by ancient civilizations and mythology, such as “Crete” in St. Louis and “Olympus” in Milwaukee. The sculpture seems to mimic the unknowability of ancient structures and ruins.
Pueblo Bonito (1977)
por Charles Ginnever
Pueblo Bonito (1977)
by Charles Ginnever
Sculptor Charles Albert Ginnever, born in San Mateo, CA in 1931, was known for his large, abstract steel sculptures that welcome viewers to explore them from different angles to make their own interpretations. This 15-foot-high and 30-foot-wide sculpture is in Knox Park and made from COR-TEN (weathering) steel, a steel alloy that develops a rusted patina over time; the patina is the protective oxide film on the sculpture that provides corrosion resistance. It is made up of 5/8-inch-thick steel pieces that form six “legs” which meet at the top. As the sculpture curves, the legs fan apart and are separated at the bottom. Each of the steel surfaces are smooth and have been left untreated to allow weathering and create an aged look. The title, “Pueblo Bonito,” may be a reference to a great house in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico built by the Ancestral Puebloans between AD 828 and 1126. This would make the sculpture part a series by Ginnever with artworks that also have names inspired by ancient civilizations and mythology, such as “Crete” in St. Louis and “Olympus” in Milwaukee. The sculpture seems to mimic the unknowability of ancient structures and ruins.
Pueblo Bonito (1977)
por Charles Ginnever
El escultor Charles Albert Ginnever, nacido en San Mateo, California, en 1931, era conocido por sus grandes esculturas abstractas de acero que invitaban a los espectadores a explorarlas desde diferentes ángulos para que crearan sus propias interpretaciones. Esta escultura de 4,5 metros de alto y 9 metros de ancho se encuentra en el Parque Knox y está hecha de acero COR-TEN (acero resistente a la intemperie), una aleación de acero que desarrolla una pátina de óxido con el tiempo; esta pátina es la capa protectora de óxido que recubre la escultura y le proporciona resistencia a la corrosión. Está compuesta por piezas de acero de 5/8 de pulgada de grosor que forman seis "patas" que se unen en la parte superior. A medida que la escultura se curva, las patas se separan y se distancian en la parte inferior. Cada una de las superficies de acero es lisa y se ha dejado sin tratar para permitir que se oxide y adquiera un aspecto envejecido. El título, "Pueblo Bonito," podría ser una referencia a una gran construcción en el Parque Histórico Nacional de la Cultura Chaco en Nuevo México, edificada por los antiguos pueblos anasazi entre los años 828 y 1126 d. C. Esto convertiría la escultura en parte de una serie de Ginnever que incluye obras con nombres inspirados en civilizaciones y mitologías antiguas, como "Creta" en San Luis y "Olimpo" en Milwaukee. La escultura parece evocar el misterio y la naturaleza enigmática de las estructuras y ruinas antiguas.