A SELECTION OF interesting rocks placed in the courtyard of the new Studio Art Hall will serve as instructional tools, artistic inspiration—and occasional outdoor seating.
The idea came from Art Professor Michael O’Malley and Geology Professors Bob Gaines and Jade Star Lackey. Original plans calling for the placement of some generic granite stones were replaced by a more eclectic arrangement of rocks as a way to enliven the building’s stark open spaces, inspire young artists and bring in other disciplines. The Geology Department plans to use the rocks as teaching tools in introductory courses.
“Artists draw inspiration and knowledge from all sources,” says O’Malley. “As a sculptor, I love learning about stones and the fascinating stories behind them. The art faculty hopes that the building draws students from across the campus, and we saw the stones as a device to create a more complex community.”
Standouts among the stones include a brilliant sheet of green quartzite from Utah and a dazzling marble boulderin its raw, unpolished form. One rock, a checkered block of granite, even has a strong connection to the L.A. art world, having been discovered in the same Riverside quarry as Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass installation at LACMA.
