It took four years to install five sculptures, designed by Matt Babcock, at Los Gatos’ entrances.
They emphasize the community’s namesake felines—branding the town with mountain lions made from aluminum.
The initial sculpture went in back in May 2021; the final two debuted in August.
And in an interview with the Los Gatan this week, Babcock said he wants town residents to know that these creations were made specifically for them.
Given that Silicon Valley consists of roughly 13 towns and cities, there’s a need to distinguish one from another.
The Town introduced the idea of erecting signage at designated points to welcome residents and visitors.
Babcock lives and works in Seattle, Washington, where he specializes in public art and metal sculpture.
He received his Masters in Architecture from the University of Colorado in 1995.
Prior to that he had done welding in trade school, followed by studying art history and physics at the University of Michigan. He worked as an architect for most of his career.
“When I was a little kid, I’d make all these things, and I’d think of them as being functional objects,” he said. “But the function was completely imaginary. I was 5, 6 and 7. I look back now and think, Yeah well, no wonder I became a sculptor. I’m still kind of like that, I guess.”
Babcock gave up his architecture license in 2008 during the recession and jumped into sculptural life in 2010.
He was looking for ways to make art his career.
He considers this leap of faith a “risky jump. My heart is working in the metal shop. I want stuff out that’s for everyone, not for whoever bought it or who feels like going to a museum.”
Babcock gave an interview with now-Los Gatan-editor Drew Penner three years ago, where he emphasized a design approach that highlights the way a work is constructed.
Now that all five are complete, he says he still feels the craftsmanship is a key aspect of a piece.
“I want people seeing it to have access to understand the whole artwork,” Babcock said.
He said it took four years to install all the sculptures due to Town budget constraints.
Though there has been some criticism of the sculpture’s design.
And Babcock explains there was a gap after the first installation to gather opinions.
Given that there was more positive feedback than negative, this paved the way for the final four, he added.
The color schemes of the sculptures were inspired by the 1950s, with each having its own designated hue.
Babcock says he’d love to make more if people wanted them elsewhere in Los Gatos.
“It’s always a really neat day when my stuff gets installed,” he said.
Navigating art-as-career
“Put on your thick skin and be prepared to handle a lot of rejection,” said Babcock, considering the challenge of being a professional artist. “For every one thing you sell, 1,000 people looked at it and didn’t care, and 100 people didn’t like it—and some of them weren’t all that polite about it.”
Babcock says he knows a lot of artists who don’t put their work out there.
The initial criticism was just too much for them.
He says he was mindful that his Los Gatos sculptures would live in busy locations alongside fast-moving traffic.
“You need to get the Ah-ha! That’s what it is, kind of fast. People only have a second or two as they’re rushing past this. And so the abstract calligraphy of those pieces is less obvious, because I was trying to make the work legible for people going by in cars.”
Originally Los Gatos put out a call for submissions, which is a standard process for public art.
Babcock recalled the Town was looking for something that was “more sculpture than sign.”
He submitted his resume and letter of interest alongside his previous work and became one of three finalists.
“The proposals were presented to the public art committee,” he said. “I was really impressed how many members of the public showed up to the meeting…High-five to Los Gatos for people caring about their art.”
The plan is for the sculptures to last for many years to come.
Babcock’s main concern is the potential for the paint to fade due to sun damage.
He says he’s glad that people have differing opinions about what he’s created.
“If my work didn’t cause somebody to react to it in a way that wasn’t completely positive, then my work is way too bland,” he said.
Babcock says he’s glad Los Gatos chose him to make these prominent markers.
