Artist Statement:

Solarium considers the Art Kiosk as is an experimental space where possibilities emerge through
generative interactions of image, material, light and sound. The spherical orb, Quantum Star/Blue
Dwarf, is the central visual element in this installation with both celestial and subatomic references. A blue dwarf star is a theoretical state in the evolution of the life of a star; none are currently known to exist in the universe. The subatomic, quantum world, has parallel qualities with its elusive role in nature defining light as both particle and wave, creating questions about the nature of observation itself. Permeating the space around the spherical orb is an atmosphere of sound created by readings of selected poetic texts by Wallace Stevens, Walt Whitman, Goethe, Lucretius, Plato, as well as a recitation of the Periodic chart. The sound and light synergistically interact, causing fluctuations in the color range and luminosity of the orb. The glass surface of the space limits the transmission of sound while allowing the radiance to be emitted, invoking the inner environment’s poetic oration in the language of light.

About the Artist:

John RoloJ is a visual artist who works conceptually with site, process and natural systems. He is known for his ceramic works and outdoor kiln/furnace projects done from the 1970’s into the 1990’s, as well as other large-scale environmental projects, gallery installations and objects investigating geologic and natural phenomena. Based on an extensive background and ongoing research in the earth sciences, he works from geochemical and global metabolic perspectives. His work since the late 1960’s engages poetic and site-specific relationships between material, concept and performance in the domains of geology, ecology, architecture, ceramics, industry, metabolic systems and history. The ship is a central image of his work, metaphorically evoking psychological and transformative processes of the sea and land in geologic and contemporary time. He studied geology at UC Davis, Davis, CA with Professor Eldridge Moores and others during the formative days of plate tectonics in the late- 1960’s. Contemporaneous with geology he studied art with Bob Arneson and William T. Wiley also at UC Davis. He received a master’s degree in art in 1973 from CSUHumboldt. In addition to numerous environmental, site-specific installations in the US, Canada and Europe, his work has been included in exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art, UC Berkeley Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photoscene Cologne and the Venice Architectural and Art Biennales, The Snow Show in Kemi, Finland and Artlantic: wonder, Atlantic City, NJ. Art works in the public realm that explore geologic and related concepts can be found at sites such as: Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, I-5 Colonnade Park, Seattle, WA and Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. He has received 3 artist’s visual arts fellowships from the NEA, a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship, a California Arts Council grant for visual artists and a Bernard Osher Fellowship at the Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA. He is represented by Anglim Trimble Gallery in San Francisco and is Professor Emeritus of Sculpture/Ceramics at the San Francisco Art Institute.

About the Art Kiosk:

The Art Kiosk aims to bring thought-provoking installations and public art to Redwood City and the Bay Area through seven, six week-long exhibitions throughout 2024. Artists from the Bay Area and around the world have been invited to realize their ambitious, site-specific artworks for our audience to enjoy. The initiative was conceived and is curated by Lance M. Fung. Donated curatorial work and project management for the exhibition series is provided by Fung Collaboratives. The Redwood City Improvement Association (RCIA) is the sole sponsor ever since the inaugural year of 2019. Redwood City acts as the logistical partner and provides the space and utilities. Please drop by for a visit 24/7 at 2208 Broadway, Redwood City, CA for a free viewing. Details may be found at: www.fungcollaboratives.org