In the following link
http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204~21474~2852045,00.html
reference is made to Victory Park, Long Beach, with a statue of
Aphrodite. Can you send me a digital picture of this statue,
preferably also with details about sculptor, date, size, material...

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 17 Jun 2005 17:16 PDT

Hello epaphroditos-gam,

The article you?ve cited gives the following information about the
Aphrodite statue:

?An important aspect of the project, according to Joan Van Hooten, of
the Arts Council for Long Beach, was to blend public art elements into
the Aqua project. Architect Brit Perkins and artist Andrew Leicester
were able to create this by adorning the building with two characters
called Bruce and Phoebe. These caricatures represent mortal versions
of the mythological Zeus and Aphrodite and represent seaside myths and
pastimes.?

I believe the Web site for the project shows a picture of one of the
statues ? I?m not sure which.

http://www.aqualb.com/news.php

Scroll down to ?AQUA's Public Artist came to Long Beach? and examine
the accompanying picture. I believe this is one of the ?caricature?
figures for Zeus or Aphrodite. Here is an enlarged view.

http://www.aqualb.com/images/news/38_original.jpg

Here?s a picture of the building from the architect?s website.

http://www.ediarchitecture.com/High%20Rise/High%20Rise1.html

I believe the fan-shaped crowns on the buildings are topped by the
Zeus and Aphrodite figures. You can barely make them out on this shot
but I wasn?t able to find a close-up.

I hope that you will find this research convincing and accept it as
the answer for your question.

I look forward to your clarification.

~ czh ~

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Clarification of Question by epaphroditos-ga on 18 Jun 2005 10:27 PDT

Indeed, It is difficult to find out and the project's website does not
tell anything more than in the article. In fact the reference to
Aphrodite (Phoebe) is not repeated and the picture is certainly not
Phoebe. I understand that this one has not yet been build. Right?

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 18 Jun 2005 14:32 PDT

Hello again epaphroditos-gam,

I?m afraid the articles are very confusing. I?m fairly convinced that
Aphrodite and Zeus are two large ?caricature? statues on top of the
building above the fan shaped embellishments. They?re nicknamed Bruce
and Phoebe (as are the buildings) as a civic ?in joke.? I think your
best bet to get pictures of the statues is to contact the artist,
Andrew Leicester. Please look at Leicester?s Featured Projects and
Built Projects to understand why I think his Zeus and Aphrodite will
be similar and why I think the image on the Aqua page is what you?re
looking for.

I also call your attention to the architect?s Web site which describes
the statues as follows:

?The Art Deco design and massing of the towers are mirror images, yet
each features distinct color combinations to reflect the personality
of the thirty-foot stainless steel figures that will adorn the crown
of each building. Zeus, the surfer god, will adorn the East building
dressed in a masculine color scheme while Phoebe, the beach goddess,
will adorn the West building utilizing feminine colors.?

You could contact the architects to see if they could give you some
more information about the ?stainless steel figures? and confirm that
they are the Zeus and Aphrodite you?re looking for.

http://www.aqualb.com/news.php
Aqua News

http://www.andrewleicester.com/
Andrew Leicester
4254 Longfellow Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407
leice001@tc.umn.edu

http://www.andrewleicester.com/projects/projects.htm
http://www.andrewleicester.com/built/built.htm

http://www.ediarchitecture.com/Offices/index.html
EDI Architecture, Inc.
Houston, Texas
3731 Briarpark Drive, Suite 300
Houston, Texas 77042-5296
Phone: (713) 789-0395 or (800) 789-0395
Fax: (713) 789-7292
Managing Principals:
Britten L. Perkins, AIA
Dennis F. Thompson, Assoc. AIA, RID
Darcy Garneau, AIA, RID

Please let me know if this information is sufficient to convince you
that I?ve found your Aphrodite. In light of the price you?ve set, I
believe I?ve given you sufficient information to suffice as an answer.
Thanks.

~ czh ~