EXTRA, EXTRA/Beverly Hills installs playful art at City Hall
What is that on the front lawn of the Beverly Hills City Hall? In contrast to the ornate Spanish Renaissance-style building, the black steel, geometric figure is not something the Public Works Department will be using in any of its projects. It is the city’s latest fine art acquisition by American artist Tony Smith, who died in 1980. “Playground” was created in 1962 and cast in 2003 according to the artist’s model and detailed instructions. The sculpture, which was installed at the city hall in June, is one in an edition of three, and it is the first large-scale work by Smith on permanent public exhibition in Southern California. The city acquired the piece through its Public Art Fund, which requires property developers to spend 1 percent of their construction costs on art or pay an equal amount to the fund.