Rodia’s Tower (Simon Rodia)
Dimensions415 cm x 215 cm x 215 cm
Materials Sandblasted glass, bronze, wood, ceramic
Collection Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
Materials Sandblasted glass, bronze, wood, ceramic
Collection Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN
The inspiration for this sculpture comes from my fascination with artists who have devoted their lives to a single project like the Watts Towers in Los Angeles. Simon (Sabato) Rodia was an Italian emigrant tile setter. From 1921 to 1954, he single-handily built eight closely related towers out of cement, rebar, and mosaics of broken glass and ceramics on land he owned in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. When finished he deeded the property to his neighbor and went to live his remaining years in the Sierra Mountains of California.