As the sun begins to paint the winter sky orange and red, an angular sculpture reflects the warm colors off its surface. Early night washes the structure in darkness but for a faint light shining from the middle of a stack of three intricately designed triangles hanging from silver arches.
The Greys in Between is the latest collaboration between the city of San Luis Obispo and the SLO Museum of Art.
“Public art installations like this can impact and inspire communities in ways that leave lasting effects—it’s a great way to encourage an appreciation of art alongside city development,” SLOMA Chief Curator Emma Saperstein said.
In an effort to bring more public art pieces to the town, they reached out to artist Anila Agha. Her sculpture at Orcutt and Tank Farm roads is the first of 15 public art installations that SLOMA and SLO plan to install at the city’s new roundabouts. But the installations are only part of the collaborative commitment to growing the arts outside of the main commercial areas of San Luis Obispo.
Saperstein said they picked art that best reflected both the present and past of the city, while also bringing in what Saperstein felt was an important artist of our time.
“I think it signifies what San Luis Obispo should stand for—the ideas of [Agha’s] practice in general, the inclusivity and diversity, are really what represents our future best,” Saperstein said.
The Pakistani-American artist has found success with her unique three-dimensional works that often make use of the environment in which they’re installed to help convey the meaning of her work. That message ranges from her own reflections on the time she’s spent working in the studio to more open-ended social commentary aimed at provoking reflection on the role immigrants serve in the U.S.
Recently, her work has been showcased in places like the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., the National Sculpture Museum in Valladolid, Spain, The Dallas Contemporary Art Museum, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville.
The installation process for the piece was something that both Saperstein and Agha feel showcases the power that collaboration has to highlight impactful public art from groups that are underrepresented.
“She’s very interested in helping underrepresented populations of this country come forward—that’s a very difficult task I think personally, especially in the realm of public art,” Saperstein said.
The Greys in Between is one of the many sculptures Agha made with the intention of telling a deeper story, not just through the art itself but the way it’s meant to interact with the people who view it.
“Most of my public installations benefit a lot from the ‘selfie’ crowd,” Agha said with a laugh. “But I do want my art to also inspire reflection on the impact people like me offer to the United States.”
Agha, who was born in Lahore, Pakistan, doesn’t shy away from the social commentary her work tends to invoke, often encouraging people to view her art with that concept in mind. The arched three-dimensional structure in SLO acts as a medium for Agha’s literal and figurative message about immigrants in the United States.
“People tend to give labels and think there’s a particular story to one region of the world,” she said, “I don’t think we can look at people from any place as one dimensional.”
Agha hopes that she can inspire other people with similar backgrounds to her and encourage them to explore the expression of emotions that often comes with being cast as an outsider in modern America.
“Now that I have somewhat of a seat at the table in terms of my art and reach, I can advocate for people like myself and encourage artists to not only express themselves without fear of rejection but in a way that transforms the way we look at outsiders and ourselves,” she said. Δ
Freelancer Adrian Vincent Rosas is watching the sunset reflect off the sculpture. Reach him through the editor at clanham@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Dec 29, 2022 – Jan 8, 2023.
Unfortunately, this art cannot be viewed in a manner like the photographer used, as there is no formal and safe way to access the sculpture. Public art needs to be approachable, touchable, and interactive. Placing this piece in the center of a roundabout removes it from an intimate public art experience and makes it little more impactful than the traffic signage that surrounds it. Such a mistake! The first roundabout public art tragedy was Marsh Street, and now this. Please, SLO, wise up, and don’t keep repeating this mistake!