Skip to main content
Customizable
Cairns Garden | Public Sculptures by John Randall Nelson | Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown in Tempe. Item made of steel
Satisfaction Guarantee
Customize this piece
Cairns Garden | Public Sculptures by John Randall Nelson | Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown in Tempe. Item made of steel
Cairns Garden | Public Sculptures by John Randall Nelson | Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown in Tempe. Item made of steel
Cairns Garden | Public Sculptures by John Randall Nelson | Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown in Tempe. Item made of steel
Cairns Garden | Public Sculptures by John Randall Nelson | Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown in Tempe. Item made of steel
Cairns Garden | Public Sculptures by John Randall Nelson | Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown in Tempe. Item made of steel
+6
Cairns Garden | Public Sculptures by John Randall Nelson | Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown in Tempe. Item made of steel

Created and Sold by John Randall Nelson

John Randall Nelson

Cairns Garden - Public Sculptures

Featured In Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown, Tempe, AZ

$ On Inquiry

“Cairns Garden”, Sited at Canopy Tempe, Tempe, AZ, 2020.

A cairn is a human-made stack of stones. Cairns represent a broad variety of purposes from the prehistoric to the present. In modern times cairns are often erected as landmarks to represent the beginning of a trail.

"Cairns Garden" 
is an immersive Public Artwork, depicting the shifting views of a desert trail. The geologic shapes connect with the dusky glow of the surrounding desert.

Inspired by the history engraved landscape, nine cairns mark a metaphorical trailhead. They conjure the Sonoran desert while referencing the language of ancient petroglyphs.

Have more questions about this item?
John Randall Nelson
Meet the Creator
Wescover creator since 2019
I think the ambiguous is more interesting, more engaging. Because there is always something more to discover it reveals itself more slowly and it has greater longevity.”

John Randall Nelson lives and works in Tempe, Arizona. An MFA graduate of Arizona State University’s Herberger School of Fine Arts, his folk art inspired works have been exhibited and collected both nationally and abroad. A sculptor as well as a painter, he has completed commissions for clients as diverse as the National Endowment for the Arts, the United States Postal Service and the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona.

“Over the years I've heard Nelson's work described as Outsider Art, Pop, and Primitive. Maybe it's all of the above. What I do know is John has perfected the combination of playful and poignant. Using a diverse mix of materials in both painting and sculpture, he's developed a unique language over the years with the use of societal, political ancedotes and familiar cultural icons. Nelson has created a landscape all his own, both introspective and whimsical, much appreciated qualities, in this ever-changing moment in time.”
Covington Jordan, Director, Gebert Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM.