Artwork Detail

Anne-Elizabeth Sobieski’s artworks for Fire Station 104 depict the strength, camaraderie, and service of the firefighters. After spending time with firefighters in Santa Clarita—who count wild land fires as one of their specializations—the artist observed that their occupation is one of constant action. Her images are correspondingly dynamic: they depict select everyday moments in the working life of the Santa Clarita firefighter. A fire station is both a place of work and a home. As such, the artworks for Fire Station 104 are large fused glass panels sited to address both the public spaces of the fire station and the places dedicated to the fire station staff. The artworks in Fire Station 104 consist of three main windows that face the public entrance and can also be seen in the visitors’ lobby and offices; three windows in the firefighters’ Day Room (their living room) that also face out towards the entrance; and six windows on the fire station tower. While the three main artworks form a large triptych that can be read loosely as one scene, each window has its own subject and focus. On the left, a firefighter with a hose leans in the same direction as visitors entering the Station Lobby; the firefighter sprays water from a hose onto a controlled burn, grey clouds billowing up to the sky. In the central window, a pine tree glows with embers and touches of flames on its branches; the smoke of wildfires will often reflect the colors of flames and fire engine lights, which is depicted in a background of pinks and reds. The rightmost window shows an LA County Fire helicopter dropping sheets of water onto flames; it is an image that instills the idea of teamwork and shows the powerful resources of the LA County Fire Department. The firefighters’ Day Room is often kept dark for teaching or for watching movies. In this space, another triptych of windows shows a dramatic night fire scene with a smoldering yucca plant. The fiery yucca is an image the firefighters come across often in the arid climate of Santa Clarita. Yucca plants have to be dug out after being burned by a wildfire because they will stay hot and full of embers for days—firefighters call them "hot pineapples." In the fire station tower, three windows each on the North and East facades display the station’s numbers on a background the colors of a Santa Clarita sunset. These numbers will be seen from far away on the busy neighboring road. For the artist, the fire station thus becomes a beacon of safety for the community. At the end of their day, Santa Clarita residents can drive by and know that the firefighters at Station 104 are watching over them.

Anne-Elizabeth Sobieski lives and works in the Los Angeles area. Sobieski's work explores stories of interconnection, abundance and loss, accepting the inevitability that life will both delight and challenge us. She received an MFA from Claremont Graduate University and a BFA from Art Center College of Design. Her work has been exhibited internationally. To learn more, visit: www.aesobieski.com