Wave Fence

Artist: Baer, Rod

Date: 2008

Medium: Painted steel on metal fence

Artwork Dimensions: 12000 in.

County Department: Parks and Recreation

Artwork Site: El Cariso Community Regional Park

Supervisorial District: 3

Current Status: On view

About the Artwork: The El Cariso Community Regional Park was named for the El Cariso Hot Shots, a firefighting crew that lost ten members while fighting the Loop Fire of 1966. The park, located in Sylmar includes a golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, picnic tables, playground, sports and baseball fields. Artist Rod Baer designed the fence around the swimming pool. In the artist's words, balancing playfulness with graceful form, the wave pattern forms an immediate and understandable symbol for the water contained within its perimeter. This mix reflects the facility’s dual pool purpose, which serves both children and adults, including serious competitive users and visiting event crowds seated in adjacent grandstands. By sculpting painted waves on the top edge of the fence, the aquatic center can be seen from all over the park, instantly marking its identity and location to visitors.

About the Artist: Rod Baer, who lives in Los Angeles, received an MFA from Claremont Graduate School and a BFA from San Diego State University. He has completed public and private commissions in California and the United States and has extensive design team experience. His work is characterized by bold geometric shapes and colors that are often rendered in three dimensions.