Veritas

2018   304 Stainless Steel, Concrete Base
103 × 60 × 60 ″

Veritas, or truth, is a metaphor for the never-ending pursuit of knowledge. Created for the 100th anniversary of Santa Rosa Junior College, the sculpture sits atop a time capsule. The capsule was designed and fabricated by the Engineering Club. The sculpture was hand-sanded and assembled with the help of my sculpture students over many class periods and extracurricular hours.

The work is comprised of a series of circular and curvilinear forms that interconnect and branch off one another in such a way that a single, continuous, and never-ending labyrinth is created. Each part, great or small, serves to support the whole in a shared dance of structure and volume. A spherical form is revealed. One can follow the meandering path as a meditation or a journey. Although it is possible to gain a cursory understanding of the work by casually observing it, only careful study and dogged engagement will reveal its complexities. As with each element of Veritas, every observer (students, faculty, staff, and administrators), form a sphere of influence that reaches for truth. We are on a path transformed by interaction; each of us as both individuals and as part of a whole.

Many students and family members helped process the parts. To develop the distinctive shimmer, each piece was carefully hand-sanded along its contours. This process was repeated at least 20 times per face (both front and back). The assembly process required fitting the parts to the main plane and to one-another, one piece at a time, while the body was suspended from a hoist. Tabs were inserted into slots and then hammered over to lock the elements into place. The assembled structure was bolted to a stainless steel base plate with welded posts to orient and align it. Finally, before placing the sculpture on the time capsule base, it had to be washed and degreased to remove handprints and stains.