Art bridges the past and the present in this 2016 installation. Cliff Garten’s vibrant and multi-layered abstract field of flowering Liliale plants connects us to early history and culture in Walnut Creek.

About this Sculpture

Soap plant and the Indian potato, both from the Liliale family, were vital to the survival of the Volvon people, one of the area’s Miwok tribes. The Volvon depended on these plants for nutrition and utility. They pulverized the soap root and mixed it into water to create foam, then added the suds to streams to calm the fish that they then pulled from the water. The fibrous bulb of the plant made good brushes and combs, too. The potato plant was an excellent source of protein.

The plant shapes are abstract silhouettes arranged in layers on aluminum sheets. They form a 28-by-36 foot grid, creating an ever-changing light show that dazzles us with striking combinations of complementary colors. You can see a very different installation by Cliff Garten at the Walnut Creek Veterans Memorial at City Hall, Broadway and Civic Drive.

Location: On the Broadway Plaza Parking Garage at 539 S. Broadway, Walnut Creek, CA

Image Caption: Cliff Garten, Liliales, 2016 stainless steel, anodized aluminum and LED lights, photography by Josh Isaacs.