HISTORY WALL - 2013

A component of the Orange County Peace Officers Memorial, History Wall was Van Sant’s last intaglio relief sculpture, which unfortunately ran into construction issues. (See Notes)

Bedded in a curved wall, the outline of the relief resembles the map of Orange County. Imagery within the outline depicts a background of farmland, a billowing US flag, a sun, a cluster of modern buildings, and a helicopter. Foreground figures dressed in sheriff’s attire ride dominant modes of transport from OC history: one on a horse, one on foot, another on a motorbike, and a fourth in a car.  

The wall provides a backdrop for two sculpted bronze figures by Eugene Daub, each nine feet tall, each with a deep brown patina. Representing one male and one female officer, they stand side by side in contemplation of their fallen comrades.

History Wall and Daub’s figures are situated within a semi-circular memorial space that includes benches, a water feature, and lighting.

VAN SANT’S CONCRETE CAST HISTORY WALL. PHOTOGRAPHER EUGENE DAUB

  • Orange County Sheriff's Regional Training Academy

    15991 Armstrong Avenue, Tustin, CA 92782

  • 2013

  • Stewart Woodward

  • Cast concrete.

  • Unknown.

  • $85,000.

  • The Orange County Sheriff’s Advisory Council.

  • Extant, in situ, in good condition.

  • TVS digital records.

  • Van Sant’s last public artwork encountered challenges when the contractor who cast the concrete wall failed to follow the artist’s directions correctly and attempted to amend the resulting error using a disc grinder.

    Tom Van Sant “put together the art team for the creation of the Orange County Peace Officer’s Memorial for architect Stewart Woodard.” [1] (In addition to running his own architectural company, Stewart Woodard was Director of Design for William Pereira & Associates for more than 45-years, which is likely how he knew Van Sant and his work.) [2]

    In addition to Van Sant, who would make the History Wall component of the Memorial, the team included Eugene Daub and Rob Firmin, who would make the monumental bronze figures, plus Tony Sheets and Ryan Van Sant.

    The project proceeded as planned until the concrete was poured and the forming stripped away; at which point it became clear that, although the intaglio area was as it should be, “the wall on both front and back is another story.” [3]

    Van Sant identified the primary flaws as:

    (1) “Discoloration...over the entire face of the wall with the exception of the sculptured portions...This discoloration characteristic could not have occurred had the forms been painted with a common sealer.” [4]

    (2) “Grinding by disk grinder is highly evident on both sides of the wall...It follows the joint pattern discoloration and permeates the entire face of the wall except for the sculptured portions...[it] was performed...in an unapproved and unsuccessful attempt to remove the discoloration flaws.” [5]

    “The sculptured portion of the wall is without flaws and may be retained. The damaged surface of the surrounding wall cannot be retained as an exposed aggregate surface. A creative solution will be required, and I would be happy to research and present alternatives." [6]

    Throughout his career, Van Sant consistently drew from the life model, but primarily depicted non-human creatures in his sculptures. When he did include human figures in his sculptural work, they were often highly stylized, as in Indigenous Inhabitants (1968) and The Word (1972), or they were comparatively small in relation to an overall composition, as in 19th Century Industries of Hawaii (1971) and Authors of the Sea (1979). When less abstracted human figures were the focus of a depicted narrative, as in Laua (1973) and Concrete Pour (1976), the figures are usually more finely drawn than those seen in History Wall

    [1] Tom Van Sant, Waterfront Seattle APP LETTER_v2.docx, December 16, 2013. TVS digital record.

    [2] Stewart Woodward’s Linked In page, linkedin.com. Last accessed December 28, 2023.

    [3] Stewart Woodward, letter to Van Sant,LETTER_TO_TOM_RE_SHIT, February 15, 2013, TVS digital record.

    [4] Tom Van Sant, History_Wall_TVS_Assessment_2-17-1, Feb. 17, 2013, TVS digital record.

    [5] Ibid.

    [6] Ibid.

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