Fire House Pavilion, (sculpture).

Fire House Pavilion, (sculpture).

Maul, John B., sculptor.

Fire House Pavilion, (sculpture).

Firehouse Pavilion, (sculpture).

Copyrighted 1988. Dedicated Aug. 25, 1989.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: steel and concrete, painted, and brass; Base: ceramic tile and concrete.

Sculpture: approx. 12 x 12 x 2 ft.; Base: approx. H. 6 in. x W. 16 ft. x Diam. 8 ft.

J.M. (On first brass panel on column:) A FIREMAN'S PRAYER/St. Florian, heaven's patron of Firemen look with kindly and professional eye upon your earthly force, desirous of preserving our fellowmen from dangers of life and property. Make us as fearless in protecting the laws of God, as we are brave in protecting the lives and property of our fellowmen. (On second brass panel on column:) The Maltese Cross/The Maltese Cross has served as the symbol of the International Association of Fire Fighters for many years. It has been simplified into a tile pattern and used as the basis for the pavilion's deck. The colors selected for the tile patterns were based on the predominant ethnic origins of the residents of South Avenue and the immediate community, which includes German (red, black, yellow and orange) Irish (red, white and green) and Spain (yellow and red). The United States is our new heritage, and represented as red, white and blue.

The Arch/The arch represents a threshhold (sic) or doorway that signifies entrance into danger. It could be seen as the doorway of a burning structure, the threshhold (sic) between life and death, or any territory that a fire fighter must decide to enter in the pursuit of saving life and property. The Semi-Circle The gridded semi-circle is a shape that artist/designer John Maul uses in his artwork, and relates to the artist's respect for Dutch De Stijl, an art movement that flourished in Europe during the early part of the twentieth century. Maul views the half-circle as a powerful visual form and adds the grid as a reference to perspective drawing. The form is repeated twice, once in the bench, and also in the tile covered deck. The Column/The column is solemn, strong and unyielding, and in many ways becomes a metaphor for the fire fighter. It is the sentinel that communicates the history, meaning, prayer and valour. signed

An abstract sculpture composed of a circular concrete column, painted blue, surrounded by brass plaques above the mid-point. The column projects from a semi-circular steel bench, painted yellow, with a painted red steel arch extending out from the column and bench on one side. The sculptural elements rest on a concrete base and a semi-circular deck composed of ceramic tiles of various colors.

Abstract -- Geometric

Occupation -- Service -- Fireman

Allegory -- Quality -- Fortitude

State of Being -- Evil -- Danger

Emblem -- Cross

Ethnic -- German

Ethnic -- Irish

Ethnic -- Spanish

Outdoor Sculpture -- Ohio -- Toledo

Administered by City of Toledo, Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, 2201 Ottawa Parkway Drive, Toledo, Ohio 43606

Located Fire Station #9, 920 South Avenue, Toledo, Ohio

The sculpture was designed for the new Fire House Nine building under the auspices of the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo. The abstract geometric forms of the sculpture symbolize various aspects of fire fighting and pay homage to the fire fighter. According to the description on one of the sculpture's panels, the "arch represents a threshold or doorway that signifies entrance into danger...or any territory that a fire fighter must decide to enter in the pursuit of saving life and property. ...The column is solemn, strong and unyielding, and in many ways becomes a metaphor for the fire fighter." The tile pattern for the pavilion's deck is a simplified version of the Maltese Cross, the symbol of the International Association of Fire Fighters. The panel description explains that the "colors selected for the tile patterns were based on the predominant ethnic origins of the residents of the immediate community, which includes German (red, black, yellow and orange) Irish (red, white and green) and Spain (yellow and red). The United States is our new heritage, and represented as red, white and blue." The artist used the semi-circle shape twice, because he views "the half-circle as a powerful visual form." IAS files contain the artist's Sculpture Proposal, dated October 31, 1988, submitted to the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Ohio, Toledo survey, 1994.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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