Goodale Park Fountain
- Granite, Concrete, Bronze
- Malcom Cochran
In the creation of this piece, the artist drew inspiration from an earlier park fountain, constructed from stone, as well as the Sell’s Brother’s Circus (now Barnum and Bailey). The fountain was used for inspiration as it created winter ice formations and was useful in helping to determine an appropriate scale for the new fountain. Similar to the previous fountain, the new design is vertical stone with water spilling out over the top.
Local history of the Sells Brother’s Circus (now Barnum and Bailey) also informed the artist’s work. The Sells brothers lived in Victorian Village. One of the brothers built a large house across the street from the park at the corner of Buttles Avenue and Dennison Avenue. When not touring, some of the Circus animals, including elephants, were kept in the park.
Taking these images, the themes and history of the park into account, the artist created a new fountain design. The base of the fountain is shaped like a platter, which should give the impression that the sculpture is floating on the water. The main body of the fountain is comprised of four round discs – smaller at the top,larger at the bottom -- that are reminiscent of wedding cake tiers or pedestals for circus animals. At the top are two small, bronze elephants that will spray a mist of water from their trunks.
The fountain is constructed of silver gray colored granite from India. The exterior surface of the granite is roughly hewn to a “rock pitch” surface. The fountain base is supported by a ring of “concrete tubes” that will not touch the water at freezing points. Solid concrete backs the stone façade.
- Created: 2011
- Current Location: Goodale Park (google map)
- Collections: Outdoor, Sculptures