ARTIST 2 - Sunburst by Donald Gialanella

Sculpture Description

Sunburst is a 25 foot tall abstract stainless steel sculpture that pays homage to the Sun, a perfect symbol for what Palm Desert is all about. The piece can be interpreted to represent multiple concepts – the sunrise/sunset, a flower that opens and closes as the viewer circulates around it, or an abstract palm tree that celebrates Palm Desert’s natural beauty.

The sculpture is composed of two sections perpendicular to one another, each facing toward the roundabout’s intersecting roads. The two circular forms interact visually with one another forming a gestalt sphere as drivers negotiate the roundabout. The minimalist design allows for maximum visibility to oncoming traffic and pedestrians and does not obscure the view corridor to traffic in the circle.

Effective public work has a sense of place that creates a strong emotional and multifaceted attachment to a particular geographical or architectural space. I think of this sculpture as an integral element in capturing the place-making, way-finding, and identity formation experience in the San Pablo roundabout.

Material

The sculpture will be composed entirely of marine grade 316 stainless steel. This steel has total resistance to atmospheric corrosion and is basically impervious to weathering. It is the ideal material for this outdoor installation and has a projected lifespan of more than 50+ years. It never needs to be painted, coated, or sealed.

The stainless steel will be brushed to create an organic textual surface that will reduce the reflectivity, but remain clean and bright with a visually dynamic metallic appearance.

Artist’s Bio

Donald Gialanella is a sculptor with 25 years of experience in art, design, and public projects. He works in permanent outdoor materials – marine grade stainless steel and corten steel. Donald is known for creating more than thirty larger-than-life sculptures in public and private collections across the United States.

Donald apprenticed with the renowned artist Louise Bourgeois after graduating magna cum laude with a BFA in sculpture from the Cooper Union in New York. He was a network graphics producer at ABC-TV in New York in the 1980’s and received an Emmy for his work on Monday Night Football in 1990. He taught art at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey for two years before returning to the US and establishing Livesteel sculpture studio in 1994