Anatomy of the Electric Fountain in Beverly Hills
Located at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, is the “Electric Fountain.”
Originally unveiled in 1931–at a then cost of $22,000–Electric Fountain was, at the time, a state-of-the-art timed fountain. Its water jets and color effects are timed for 60 different combination’s every 8 minutes. At its unveiling, the Fountain stopped traffic for hours, so people could watch; indeed its magnificence remains to the present.
The different water patterns are wonderful to watch; but upon further examination, the Electric Fountain is a lot more than just its water jets and color effects.
1. I’ve already mentioned the timed color effects. Here’s a photo of its affect and use of water and light.
2. An often overlooked aspect of many an outdoor sculpture, fountain, or statue is a fairly basic concept, which many artists omit, but one that should be incorporated for people to fully enjoy appreciating the perfect fountain—seating. As seen here–in the form of several long benches–this Electric Fountain provides many a place for people to relax and enjoy the magnificence and beauty of the spraying art work, and water structure.
3. The decorative tile which surrounds the entire fountain; adding color, depth, intensity, and history to the fountain.
4. I’m a big believer in having plaques for art work, which helps people learn the story behind the story about that particular piece of art and the artist–and the people who helped make it possible. Here’s the one for Electric Fountain. Put another way, when you go to a museum or gallery, instinctively you want to know who the artist is, the type of material used, when it was made, and the name of the piece. And that’s for starters.
5. Small and exquisite fine details that help to tell its viewers a story; and helping them understand the installation a bit more and, of course, leaving the visitors wanting for more.
6. A figure head at the top of a fountain creates symmetry, and a focal point.
7. Decorative protective barriers are an added plus; along with a perfectly manicured space and garden.
8. When a fountain has supplementary places of significance surrounding it, everybody enjoys these visible details every time they visit.
Although I can think of many more ways and means, that makes this striking Electric Fountain stand out and takes you from the ordinary into the realm of the extraordinary; we’ll leave a little mystery for you to come to your own conclusions.
Being able to sit, relax, watch, and listen to the synchronized sounds of a fountain– even in the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve in Beverly Hills—makes this “Electric Fountain” a Los Angeles treasure.
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