Skydivers by Aris Demetrios

Newport Beach, Calif.--Three skydivers mounted atop 25-foot tall concert pedestals formed the iconic art landmark sculpture collection on the Atrium Lawn of Fashion Island shopping mall, installed in 1967 when sculptor Aris (Aristides) Demetrios was launching his career. A showpiece for the hilltop mall overlooking the Pacific Ocean with its own sense of flight, the commissioned works greeted guests for approx. 43 years. No longer at this location... the memory lives on through photos.

Fashion Island performed a $100,00 million renovation which removed Skydivers in 2010. As a neighborly gesture the private company offered the sculpture to the City of Newport Beach. It would have been ideal for placement at the new, $135 million City Hall complex at 100 Civic Center Drive. However, Newport Beach Arts Commission voted against accepting the sculpture which the group estimated could cost more than $100,000 to relocate and renovate. Citing specifications that excluded acceptance, it is really a shame that the sculpture that had become part of Fashion Island's upscale motif could not be kept in the city where it belongs on display.

 His 7th major commissioned work, the Montecito-based artist has created hundreds of unique public art pieces since that time, and his style has grown and changed to reflect current tastes.

As the son of another famous sculptor, George Demetrios, who trained by Bourdelle, a student of Rodin, he was encouraged by his dad to attend gain formal training at the George Demetrios School. Equipped with a B.A. in History & Literature from Harvard College, the natural-born artist has become one of the most commercially successful sculptors in the world.

Californians may not know or recognize his efforts when they take vacations throughout the state, but his commissioned art is everywhere! Launching his career with a work in Sacramento in front of the County Courthouse, he was invited afterward by David and Lucille Packard to design and fabricate the sculpture to grace the entry to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (Forms Sung In A Kelp Forest).

You really can't appreciate all that Aris Demetrios has done to enhance the lives of others, than by seeing the variety of his artwork and installation locations ranging from waterfalls overlooking oceans to striking valleys with mountains rising from behind the sculpted pieces. Take a look on demetriossculpture.com

MAJOR COMMISSIONS IN CALIFORNIA

2008-9 GENERATIONS
21' Bronze fountain
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

2007-9 BEGINNINGS
40" Stainless Steel
University of California, Merced, Merced, CA

2007 VULCAN
4 Meter stainless steel
Benarrosh collection, Montecito, CA

2006 NAIAD
9' Bronze Tragos Collection
Montecito, CA

2004 ACROBATS
14- 7' bronze figures
Pacific Commons, Freemont, CA

2002 SURGE
Dart/Cohen Collection, Santa Barbara, CA

2001 JOIE DE VIVRE
9 Acrobats Emmons Collection, Santa Barbara, CA

2000 MENTORS 18'
City College of Santa Barbara, CA

1992 Bronze Fountain
Kawea Hospital, Visalia, CA

1992 CALL ME ISHMAEL
Bronze, 7' tall
Harper Group, San Francisco, CA

1990 KING AND CONSORT
Bronze, two elements, 8' tall
Private residence, Atherton, CA

1990 COSMOS
Painted steel, 80' tall
Olympus Pointe, Roseville, CA

1990 GOLDMAN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
Bronze on granite
San Francisco, CA

1989 FIGURE
Bronze, 10' tall
Private residence, Atherton, CA

1989 CELEBRATION
Stainless steel fountain, 25' tall
Pacific Concourse, Los Angeles, CA

1989 SEA URCHIN
Bronze fountain, 8' diameter
Jack London Square, Oakland, CA

1989 STELE
Bronze fountain, 10' tall
Private residence, San Diego, CA

1989 RED GOTHIC
Painted steel, 7' tall
Alta Plaza Park, San Francisco, CA

1989 DOG GOD
Bronze, 7' tall
Private residence, Ross, CA

1988 CELEBRATIONS 25'
Pacific Concourse, Los Angeles, CA

1988 ZIG
Painted steel, 6' tall
Private residence, Inverness, CA

1988 THREE DISKS
Painted steel, 6.5' tall
Private residence, Glen Ellen, CA

1988 SOLSTICE
Painted steel, 6' tall
Private residence, Atherton, CA

1988 SPRING
Bronze fountain, 7' tall
One Ygnacio Plaza, Walnut Creek, CA

1988 I/THOU
Bronze fountain, two elements, 8.5' tall
Private residence, Glen Ellen, CA

1988 DUE
Bronze fountain
Private residence, Pebble Beach, CA

1986 EGIRIA
Bronze fountain, 8' tall
Private Residence, San Francisco, CA

1986 A FANFARE OF DOLPHINS
Bronze fountain, 14' tall
Marine World Africa USA, Vallejo, CA

1986 MERLIN
Painted steel, 25' tall
Research Development Park, Emeryville, CA

1985 SOURCE
Bronze fountain, 15' tall Airport Technology Park
Santa Clara, CA

1984 BREAKTHROUGH
Painted steel, 12' x 20' x 30'
Airport Technology Park, Santa Clara, CA

1984 CRUCIBLE
Bronze, 8' tall
Washington, San Francisco, CA

1984 FORMS SUNG IN A KELP FOREST
Bronze fountain, 6 elements 12'4" tall
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA

1984 SENTINAL II
Bronze fountain, 13' tall
Private residence, San Francisco, CA

1983 CARING
Bronze, two elements 19' tall
Atrium of 2855 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA

1983 INTERLOCK
Bronze, 5' tall
Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA

1983 ARCHON
Bronze, 5' tall
Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA

1982 EARTH SHIFT
Bronze fountain, 12' tall
Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA

1979 ST. JOSEPH, ST. MARY
Two bronze reliefs, life size
Our Lady of Fatima Church, Modesto, CA

1978 SUNBURST
Three Corten steel reliefs, 10' x 4'
Peerless Electric Company, Berkeley, CA

1977 WINVANE
Bronze, kinetic, 6' tall Private residence
Sausalito, CA

1975 FOUNTAIN
Bronze, 4' x 5' x 4'
Banker's Equity Building, San Francisco, CA

1973 INTERFACE
Bronze fountain, 7' x 8'
First Unitarian Church, San Francisco

1971 PRIMAVERA
Bronze fountain, 35' tall
The Prudential, Los Angeles, CA

1970 TWO CONIC SECTIONS
Bronze fountain, 18' tall
Summit Savings & Loan, Santa Rosa, CA

1970 CLOCK TOWER
Corten steel, kinetic, 11' x 11' x 22'
Park Newport, Newport Beach, CA

1968 THE GOLDEN FLEECE
Bronze relief, 22' long
Wells Fargo Bank, Oakland, CA

1968 RELIEF (untitled)
Bronze and copper, 7' x 4'
Mercy Hospital Carmichael, CA

1967 HARP WIND 92'
South San Francisco park, CA

1967 CABOT, CABOT AND FORBES TOWER
Mayari R steel, 92' tall
CFF Industrial Park, South San Francisco, CA

1967 SKY DIVERS
Three bronze double life size figures, 30' tall
Fashion Island, Newport Beach, CA

1967 FLIGHT
Bronze and copper, 9' tall
Private Residence, Woodside, CA

1965 PROTEUS
Bronze and copper fountain, 32' diameter, 6" tall
Sacramento County Courthouse, CA

1964 RENAISSANCE
Bronze and copper, 16' tall
ALCO Park, Oakland, CA

1964 WHITE MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN
Bronze and copper, 16' tall
Stanford University, Stanford, CA

1963 SPRAY
Bronze copper fountain, 4' x4' x 7' tall
Sonoma Mortgage Company Santa Rosa, CA

1962 SUN AND WAVE
Bronze and steel relief, 6' x 10'
Royal Pacific Motel, San Francisco, CA