Groundwater Colossus

About the Sculpture

The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the largest sources of freshwater in the nation, located primarily under the state of Nebraska but stretching from Wyoming to Texas. Groundwater Colossus acts as the personification of the Ogallala. The colossus makes us think of the body below, in this case the rich natural resource. This sculpture lives at Union Plaza, which is designed to integrate the nature of water into the park’s details. 

The ceramic creation is nearly 12 feet tall, consisting of more than 300 individually shaped bricks stacked in concentric circles. The entire head was made with 15,000 pounds of red clay, and then cut into bricks after it dried. 

About the Artist

A New York sculptor, James Tyler brings today's faces together with the ancients through his Brickheads with pre-Columbian, South American, Native American, Asian, African, and Western influences. His works are also influenced by the brick manufacturing tradition in New York, his studio and kilns located near Haverstraw (a center for brick making since the early 1800's). "Haverstraw and its history definitely influenced my ideas for the Brickhead Series. One day, looking at the old brick buildings, I realized that brick was just another ceramic material, and one with no limit on scale". 

tylersculpture.com

Additional Information

Union Plaza,  P to Q Streets

Length:  10'

Width:  10'

Height:  appr. 12'

Materials: brick

Location

2108 P St, Lincoln 68503  View Map

40.815090, -96.690491

2108 P St , Lincoln 68503

2108 P St , Lincoln 68503

Groundwater Colossus