If Jon Johnson, who has shepherded art projects at the Hawai'i Convention Center, were to have a spare moment today during the public art dedication ceremonies, he would start checking out the drinking fountains, now home to the latest artworks that the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts commissioned for the center. Drinking fountain art
makes big splash at
convention centerBy Suzanne Tswei
Star-BulletinIt's not that any of the pieces will be new to him; he's seen them at every stage of their development, from artist proposals on paper to the details of installation. What he wants to see is public reaction to the works.
But Johnson has been through three art dedications at the center and knows his primary duties today will be that of usher, not art-in-public-places commissions project manager.
"I'll be handing out cookies and drinks, and helping the little kiddies find their mommies and directing people to the restrooms, and things like that," he said.
"The last thing on my mind will be art."
Which is just as well. Word-of-mouth reports will trickle into his office soon enough, as they have over the last four years every time new art is installed at the center.
Of the works currently displayed, engineers have told Johnson their favorite is John Wisnosky's "For the Adventurers," an epic painting detailing early Polynesian voyages.
Art critics and connoisseurs have given their nod to a wall of pit-fired ceramic tiles by David Kuraoka, an abstract interpretation of the islands' fiery creation.
Construction workers love Jean Charlot's fresco depicting Hawaiian canoe paddlers, conch blowers, divers, drummers and the festivities surrounding a chief's canoe.
Children and their parents are drawn to Ron Kowalke's "Windows of Fire," the vibrating wall sculpture that shakes in sync with the volcanic activities on the Big Island.
In time, Johnson will learn the public reception toward the reverse paintings on glass by Carol Bennett of Kauai and printed aluminum panels by Don Dugal of Oahu. The six new pieces belong to the last phase of the public art projects for the center.
The last phase will also include three ceramic walls by Bob Flint, who created the swimming-koi wall at the Waikiki Shopping Plaza. The recent Asian Development Bank meeting and protests delayed installation of Flint's work, ceramic walls featuring images of ginger. The work is expected to be completed soon, but dedication ceremonies will be held next year.
"In this last phase we are dealing with smaller pieces. Because they are for the water fountains, we have different considerations, which are really different from the huge work that has gone into the center before," Johnson said.
The convention center is a cavernous, modern building that normally demands the art to be large in size as well as visual impact.
"Some of the spaces we are dealing with are so enormous -- 15 feet high, 90 feet long and 32 feet in the air. But these water-cooler spaces are much smaller by comparison, and the people will be standing right there when they see the art. It's not the same as looking at something that's 20 feet away and 30 feet up in the air," Johnson said.
Space for art at each water fountain is limited to roughly a 4-by-8-foot wall. The art must be easy to clean and able to stand up to constant splashes of water. It must not protrude from the wall so that people won't bump their heads against it as they lean down to drink. The art must be intimate, allowing people to interact with it close up.
"We asked all the artists to think of making an oasis, a place for people to get refreshed. That's what water coolers are for, to get a drink and get refreshed," Johnson said.
Bennett painted three oil and enamel glass panels -- "Rise," "Fall" and "Drink" -- to mimic the actions at water fountains. The paintings are done on the back of clear glass, which demands that the artist paint the sequence of images in reverse. Normally, an artist begins painting in background first. But Bennett had to begin with her signature and the foreground and move backward.
Dugal's work was inspired by three plants that are prominent on the Kona Coast: milo, noni and tree heliotrope. He made drawings, and a sign-making company cut screens of the drawings and then used them to print the aluminum panels with enamel. Dugal also selected green tiles for the fountain water on which his panels are installed.
"With Don's work, you really get a close-up feel because they are subtle. He chose all greens for his work, and you can see shimmers in the white under the right light. With Carol's work, it's realistic but it's kind of gestural. You really get a feel for the water going up and coming down, like the water going up and coming back down at the coolers," Johnson said.
The state foundation commissioned 19 artists for artwork for the center, spending a total of $2.5 million, representing 1 percent of the cost of building the structure, allocated by law for public art.
After all the works are installed at the center, Johnson will continue to oversee the upkeep of the art in addition to overseeing art in other public places.
As for his favorite piece of art at the center, Johnson replied diplomatically, "They are all my favorites."
If you want to cast your own vote for a particular piece, call him at 586-0403, or write to State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, 44 Merchant St., Honolulu 96813.
Dedication of work at six water fountains on Levels 1 and 3 and the 2001 Student Art Exhibition, Level 3: HAWAI'I CONVENTION
CENTER ART
When: Center opens noon today; blessing is at 1 p.m.; dedication program, 2 to 3 p.m.
Admission: Free, includes refreshments, entertainment and children's art activities
Call: 943-3500
Also: Free docent-guided tours, 9 and 11 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, for groups of 10 or more. Reservations, 943-3500, or call the tour hot line, 943-3587.
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