Signs and Symbols - Public Sculptures

Featured In Optimist Park, Tempe, AZ

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Signs and Symbols, Sited at Optimist Park, Tempe, AZ, 2021.

Three freestanding artworks at three
intersections on the El Paso Pathway.

A butterfly, a humming bird and a
rabbit sit atop steel totems.

The symbols represent optimism, nature and mobility. They also
point to the surroundings – walking, biking, kids,
animals, plants, birds.

Each invokes an association creating a trinity of unique
neighborhood markers.

Item Signs and Symbols

Created by John Randall Nelson

As seen in Optimist Park, Tempe, AZ

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Meet the Creator

John Randall Nelson

Tempe, AZ

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.

Signs and Symbols - Public Sculptures

Item details

Context & Credits

John Randall Nelson