Public Art in San Diego: Going for Eternity

by Joe Nalven

I remember the controversy San Diego experienced with the large sculptural memory of The Kiss.

I was pleased to see San Diego deciding that it was all right to affirm an identity that echoed Warhol and the San Diego Comic Con. We are popular culture.

But where do we go from here? What's the next step? How do we avoid fawning over the public art of other cities?

I began thinking about Max Eternity. 

One of our distant Digital Art Guild [DAG] members had moved from Georgia to San Francisco - that's Max. And I had moved from Brooklyn to San Diego. We are a mobile society. But more and more we deal with that mobility with the internet; it helps to connect us — not only in our individual moves from there to here, but also in connecting our communities of interest across significant physical distance. DAG's exhibits plays off these connections to draw artists together in our San Diego exhibits. Most other Guilds and art groups are San Diego residents.

Eternity was part of a DAG exhibit, Homage. He paid homage to Andy Warhol. Important to note is Eternity's seeing himself as extending the Bauhaus spirit and design in his work; what Eternity describes as weaving together primitive symbolism, minimalistic modernism and digital design. (For a fuller portrait of Max Eternity, see Andrew Reach's interview: Autodidact Chat: Andrew Reach Interviews Max Eternity.)

Max Eternity   /    Mec de Mystery: LEGENDS - Andy Warhol

Max Eternity / Mec de Mystery:  Tribe

The simplicity of Eternity's concept multiplies in his vision of the tribe.

Eternity does not confine his interests to art and design. I again rely on Reach's summary of the various facets of this Eternity: "[He] is a painter, sculptor, inventor, architectural illustrator, industrial designer, dancer, graphic designer, musician, singer, poet, published writer and art theorist, whose many contributions in art, advocacy and education serves as a visionary model of entrepreneurship."

Eternity is also an art contributor to The Huffington Post, an ardent advocate of social issues for Truthout. And he reminds us of our past so that we can pay forward. He wrote the nomination for the Atlanta-Fulton Central Library, designed by Marcel Breuer, to become listed on the 2010 World Memorial Fund's Watch List. And Eternity is currently hosting an art competition to support young artists who are inspired by the significant art history associated with Black Mountain College.

Eternity's digital surreal techno art continues to evolve, both in print and soon-to-be sculpture.

Max Eternity / Van Goth Techno

But it is his sculptural designs that I envision as becoming part of the San Diego landscape.

Call them evolved Bauhaus, call them pop-modern, call them minimalist, call them digital mindfulness. Whatever it takes to call attention to some compelling designs for future sculptural objects.I can imagine the Round and Round House being placed in the gentrification of San Diego's eastern area, near to our new central public library or outside Petco Park or the new Charger stadium (whenever that happens).

Max Eternity  /  Round and Round House

Max Eternity  /   Zykki 2012b.42 

The Zykki 2012b.42 could be placed at one or more of our freeway on ramps or at our evolving airport.  

Yes, a mobile cool pop culture. From San Diego to Eternity.