Project Description

In Statom’s work, Into the Light, five ordinary objects—house, ladder, leaf, cone and diamond—become extraordinary when suspended in the Westlake/MacArthur Park Station’s skylight area. The theme of change as a positive force, symbolized by the ladder, is enhanced by the viewers’ changing perspective as they pass beneath the sculpture. Ethereal shadow patterns are created on the floor below as the glass and metal pieces collect and refract the changing natural light filtering through the skylight above.

Therman Statom, Into The Light

Artist Statement

“Without question, this sculpture was one of the most difficult efforts in my entire life and probably one of the most rewarding. To my amazement this work is surprisingly close to my original concept of a floating sculpture painted with light.”

About the Artist

Portrait of Therman Statom

THERMAN STATOM received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Master of Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute of Design; he also studied glass making at the renowned Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle. Statom is one of the best known glass artists in the country, pushing this medium to larger, more architectural usage. Statom’s talent has been recognized and rewarded by the Ford Foundation, the Brody Foundation, and the NEA. His work incorporates simple forms which, when combined with other shapes, tell a story or establish a theme. Over each form Statom adds a layer of brushed paint, bringing the artist’s hand back into the creative process. In addition to this public art project, he completed three large glass, steel, and fiberglass chandeliers for the atrium of the Los Angeles Central Library.