(untitled)
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
Farley Tobin's untitled art in the San Jose Federal Courthouse consists of monochromatic ceramic tiles. Tobin, a ceramist created a work that complements the tiled floor and adds dynamism to the courthouse lobby.
The porcelain, earthenware, and stoneware tiles cover the lobby wall, which measures 228 square feet, and has an entryway. Tobin expertly combined browns, grays, blacks, and creams to generate a three-dimensional effect from afar. There are two lighter areas, in the shape of a square, on each side of the entryway, with darker tiles outlining the squares. Triangles, the dominant shape of the work, make up the composition and vary in style.
"Untitled" was part of a pilot program for "Crafts in Architecture" in which a separate panel was used to a group of artists. Tobin's work provides one with a great example of ceramic work and what role it can play in architecture and as art.