Photograph by Ed Pollard, Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital slr-2021.

Jumbo-Wumbo Technico

Artist Tommy Fox (American, born 1991)

CultureAmerican

Date2020

MediumSteel, powder coated aluminum, and polyurethane with gilded bronze

DimensionsHt.: 34 ft. (1036.3 cm)

Credit LineGift of J. Douglas Perry, Thomas L. Stokes, Jr., and Joseph T. Waldo, with support from Thomas W. Godfrey, Jr., Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc.; John E. Payne, Jr.; and Thom White, Work Program Architects

Object number2020.18

On View

Chrysler Museum of Art, Museum Grounds

DescriptionThis is a 34-foot tall sculpture. The central column is black, and several steel arms, also black, extend horizontally to support 15 brightly painted aluminum shapes, which the artist calls “splox.” The sculpture was designed for the city-owned property on the corner of Brambleton and Yarmouth streets. The “splox” have been angled to be easily visible from the ground and up-lighting will illuminate the “splox” at night. The object it topped by a finial that depicts three splox-inspired humanoid figures that are meant to represent the donors.

As the artist describes it, Jumbo-Wumbo Technico is “a lofty whimsical tower” that uses color theory and visual contrast to create an design that is bright, accessible, and pleasing to all: “Whether the viewer spends a moment looking up or an afternoon in the grass, I encourage them to ponder happily and dream with abandon.”

He continues: “Living in a world that is increasingly skeptical of old systems and values, I felt the need to incorporate modern colors and materials at the forefront. The playful symbols (affectionately called “Splox”) are open to interpretation, rather than prescribed to the history of one man or one war. In the place of severe, imposing reminders of a past that didn't always offer equity or accessibility, I hope to relate a vision of joyful fellowship and boundless possibility.”

ProvenanceCommissioned from the artist for the site at West Brambleton Avenue and Yarmouth Street by J. Douglas Perry, Thomas L. Stokes, Jr., and Joseph T. Waldo; donated to the Chrysler Museum in September 2020 and dedicated October 31, 2020.