Lately I’ve been doing some photo work with Public Art Reston, a wonderful non-profit organization that serves to bring art pieces and events to the community. They were looking for photos of the Sun Boat at Lake Anne, which inspired me to take a few new ones for my collection.
The Sun Boat was created by sculptor Gonzalo Fonseca in 1965, in the earliest days of Lake Anne Plaza. It’s a concrete sculpture with a distinctly mid-century, brutalist feel. A variety of geometric shapes come together to create a pretty scene for adults and a playground for children.
The centerpiece of the sculpture is a boat-shaped area where my kids and I have sat many times over the years, headed off to imaginary destinations.
Now that my kids are getting older, they love to climb on the taller areas and jump off. My seven-year-old son has figured out how to climb to the platform next the boat, but my five-year-old daughter is still aspiring to it.
The newest addition to this area is the Wooden Horse, made by local artist Marco Rando in 2016. People are encouraged to climb on it, so now the kids and I have a new way to travel to the destinations they imagine. You’e got to love art that encourages play, and Lake Anne has lots of it.
You can buy a book about Lake Anne’s public art (filled with my photographs) at the Reston Museum or at this link.
For more of my scenic photos of Reston, check out this page of my Print Shop.
Related posts:
Publication: Lake Anne Public Art Tour Book
A tour of some of Reston’s varied and beautiful public art
Award and quite the honor: Receiving the Certificate of Appreciation by Public Art Reston
A book project about the exquisite public art of Reston Town Center
Bristol’s Upfest: Europe’s largest street art and graffiti festival
The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival at Reston Town Center
Chalk on the Water: I was a judge at Lake Anne’s chalk festival
