Meet the artist behind the mural at The Huntington in Duarte, Damon Hyldreth

The Huntington, a mixed-use commercial and apartment complex opening in Duarte next month, will feature a sculpture called Phoenix, created by artist Damon Hyldreth.

The building’s owner, Richman Group, contracted with Art + Artisans consulting out of Austin, TX to bring Hyldreth’s work to Duarte. Damon Hyldreth, who has degrees in industrial design from Ohio State University and sculpture from San Francisco Art Institute, has been creating sculptures for over 30 years.

“My process in sculpture is of discovery through making, a form of travel. I have a conversation with my materials, consider their potential energy, and lure out of them the dynamic forces of nature,” Hyldreth wrote in a statement. “I allow the work to evolve, probing shapes and investigating its capacity to change.”

Hyldreth’s specialty is with the medium of metal, his work featuring bronze, stainless steel, and painted steel. He strives to create sculptures that are heavy in structure yet delicate in form, as captured in Phoenix. 

He hopes his work encourages viewers to find comfort in the contrast between two unlike states. For example, themes in Phoenix balance inactivity and movement through the use of negative and positive space. 

Speaking to his process while creating Phoenix, Hyldreth wrote: “The Phoenix sculpture has its origin in an earlier sculpture of mine which was a singular form. I experimented with mirroring the original sculpture on itself and found that the new creation was greater than the sum of its parts. The effect of intertwining forms produced an entirely new design, which conjured an image of a Phoenix rising from the fire of rebirth.”

The Phoenix is a classic symbol with origins in ancient Egypt, representing eternity, strength, and renewal. The sculpture’s characteristics are an apt fit for The Huntington, which is likewise a symbol of revitalization for Duarte’s downtown. 

The city encourages residents to visit the sculpture downtown and snap a picture to post on social media and tag the City of Duarte on social media.

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