The City of West Hollywood, through WeHo Arts, launched a temporary outdoor art exhibit in March 2016; Can You Dig It?, featuring two works installed at Plummer Park, with more to follow later in 2016.

“And the Tree Was Happy,” by Tim Murdoch, was inspired by Shel Silverstein’s book, “The Giving Tree,” and Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax.” It is made from segmented, colorful, polyethylene pipes that the artist salvaged from dumpsters and construction sites, hand-carved and heat welded together to spiral up the trunk of a tree, much like a vine, culminating in blossom-like water catchers opened towards the sky. At the tree’s base there is a faucet that, if there is enough rain, can be opened to dispense water, giving viewers the choice of using the water, or giving it to the tree. 

Miki Iwasaki’s “Aqueous Skin,” is a suspended canopy made of 125 custom-cut steel tiles in shades of blue and assembled to give the impression of the surface of water, both on the surface and in the shadow patterns generated. The tiles, which are cut from automobiles in salvage yards, create an association with the Southern California car culture and its related issues. The low-level position of the finished piece allows the viewer to see the surface and perceive the subtle undulation in the arrangement of the art elements, while experiencing the tension created by not being able to fit underneath the installation comfortably, despite it having the appearance of a shade structure, thereby strengthening the viewer’s perception of the message of the piece. 

Can You Dig It? was conceived to address the California drought through creative expression, and is part of Art on the Outside, the City of West Hollywood’s ongoing public art program that installs rotating temporary artworks on the City’s medians and in its parks.

For more information about Can You Dig It?, or about the City of West Hollywood’s public art programs, please visit www.weho.org/arts or contact Rebecca Ehemann, the City of West Hollywood’s Public Art Coordinator at (323) 848-6846 or rehemann@weho.org. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.