Aspirations

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Aspirations is an abstract sculpture and fountain designed by Alfred Kloke. The thirty foot stainless steel piece was installed in 1984, when the nearby United Center was completed. The plaza that houses the sculpture was designed by Paul Friedberg and William Whyte. Kloke was a German born artist of many pursuits including architecture, graphic design, painting, photography, and sculpture. He said of Aspirations, "this thing will mean different things to different people."1 The fountain and sculpture were cleaned and refurbished in 2015.

Images

Aspirations

Window, Building, Street light, Automotive parking light

Sources

Bell, Tyler. Photo: United Center fountain surges again, Charleston Gazette-Mail. May 12th 2015. Accessed December 16th 2020. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/business/photo-united-center-fountain-surges-again/article_ef276a73-0cd6-5493-8f76-7f2bb2b96b1d.html.

1. Chambers, Allen S. UNITED NATIONAL BANK AND UNITED CENTER PLAZA, SAH Archipedia. Accessed December 16th 2020. https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WV-01-CH21.

Paid Notice: Deaths KLOKE, ALFRED, The New York Times. December 10th 1997. Accessed December 16th 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/10/classified/paid-notice-deaths-kloke-alfred.html.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Office of Public Art, Charleston WV. Accessed December 16, 2020. https://gisweb.cityofcharleston.org/storymaps/arttour/#.