‘Reflexion’: Scripps Park in La Jolla will host a temporary art installation in June

A group of artists commissioned by the city of San Diego will present an installation at Scripps Park in La Jolla for two weeks in June.

The exhibit, called “Reflexion” and planned next to the La Jolla Cove Bridge Club overlooking Point La Jolla, will consist of three mirrored columns with rotating segments. Each of the triangular segments will contain a flat, convex and concave mirror.

“Reflexion” is part of a larger series of temporary art projects launched in the city in May, according to Lara Bullock, civic art project manager for the city’s Arts and Culture Commission.

Bullock outlined the project to the La Jolla Parks & Beaches board of directors during its March 28 virtual meeting.

The series, titled “Park Social,” is “the city’s first temporary public art commission initiative focused on city parks,” said Chuck Miller, senior director of public art for the commission.

As part of the initiative, 18 artists and artist teams – two for each of the city’s nine council districts – have been tasked with “producing innovative and socially engaging temporary public works of art in the city’s park system. the city,” Miller said.

A San Diego-based artist collective called Art Builds, which Bullock says creates large-format temporary installations that “make people stop, smile, and engage,” developed “Reflexion.”

The organizers of “Park Social” “asked us to change the way people experience parks,” said Gordon Hoople of Art Builds.

With “Reflexion”‘s mirrored columns, “you can dynamically change your view based on how you rotate those segments,” Hoople said. “You can line them all up and get a perfectly flat reflection or do something very, very different.”

“We are especially excited about how these reflections will change the way people see themselves and their surroundings in this beautiful park,” he said.

The mirrors are made from acrylic plastic and are shatterproof to avoid becoming a hazard, Hoople said. They also have sturdy frames to guard against tipping.

The installation may move to La Jolla Shores for two weeks after Scripps Park.

The city has already approved the project, which passed LJP&B as a piece of information. The presenters asked the board members for their comments.

Many council members expressed support for the project, although some said the installation could be more effective towards the front lawn of the park, where it would be visible from the street.

“If it was placed closer to Coast Boulevard…in front of the new restrooms, [it] might get more traffic and more attention and then kind of relieve that corner [next to the Bridge Club] from all the congestion it already has,” administrator Ken Hunrichs said.

Diane Hoffoss, artist at Art Builds, said the location was chosen because “we like the idea of ​​being able to have reflections of the ocean.”

Additionally, the group is working on a way to light the facility at night, and Hoffoss said the Bridge Club is the only location that would provide access to a power source.

Board member Sally Miller opposed the project, saying the installation resembled vendor displays often decried by residents.

Administrator John Shannon agreed, saying that although he was “not against art, I am against congestion. … It seems like we already have so much to do with the sale.

LJP&B VP Brenda Fake said, “I can understand why you might consider this a sell opportunity, but I think the intent here is completely different. This is an interactive opportunity within the park.

Other LJP&B news

Bike path update: La Jolla resident Debbie Adams said she goes through the annual process to get an entry permit for the La Jolla Bike Trail to “give us the flexibility to do smaller cleanups throughout the year. year and hire professionals in some of the toughest areas.

In the meantime, she said she volunteered as the site coordinator for the annual I Love a Clean San Diego Creek to Bay cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 23.

“There’s a lot of brush to clear,” Adams said of the bike path.

Improve the La Jolla day: LJP&B President Bob Evans has called for volunteers to represent the group on Day Two Enhance La Jolla, scheduled for 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 23.

The event, outside the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art at 700 Prospect St., will include an art project, music and opportunities to meet San Diego City Councilman Joe LaCava — whose District 1 includes La Jolla — and leaders of community organizations. . ◆