Temporary Public Art – Culver Current at City Hall

Culver Current 

The groundbreaking mixed media sculpture, created by Los Angeles-based artist Nate Mohler, is on display at City Hall. This stunning interactive “fountain” displays a bright combination of generative video art with kinetic silhouettes, every evening beginning at dusk.

culver current mixed media artwork show

The artist’s original inspiration was the idea of the fountain as a public gathering place, as he reimagined the inactive water fountain over which the custom thermoformed Corian® shell sits. The 9-foot tall steel frame houses 494 LED panels that illumine the shell from within. The artwork defines several values: the current time, water current, and electrical current.

“Traditional fountains are feats of engineering and art, capturing the force of nature . . . I wanted to reimagine what a modern fountain would look like today, with new traditions and technologies. This sculpture is a reflection of the past, a moment in the present, and a discussion of the future,” says Mohler. The concept behind Culver Current is also a nod to German philosopher Jürgen Habermas’s vision that supporting art and activity in public space leads to a more harmonious society.

Learn more about the creative process behind Culver Current on the artist's website. 

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#culvercurrent #culvercity

This artwork was commissioned in conjunction with the Art in Public Places Program, with support from the Cultural Affairs Commission. The City Council originally approved the installation in 2019 as part of a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the City’s Art in Public Places Program.

About the Artist

Nate Mohler is a media artist who works with technology as a “paint brush” to build conceptual avant-garde experiences through digital art. A 2019 UCLA graduate with a B.A. in Design | Media Arts, he is intrigued with the fusion of technology to support connectivity and social activism with unconventional space and sound. His work focuses on eliciting action and curiosity through digital media such as projection mapping, immersive installations, sculpture, and video art.

Project Core Team:

Jacob Fishman, Lead Producer
Ruben Jimenez, LED/Power Specialist
Mario Romano, Corian® Fabrication
Eric Vrymoed, Steel Fabrication

Special Contributors:

Phil Geronilla, Carlo Gomez, Andrew Hulin, Jackson Kurtz, and Richard Lewis.

You can listen to a special sound accompaniment for this artwork, composed by Luke Mombrea here:

Art Consultant:

Irina Panasyuk

Photos:

Nate Mohler