TONY (BERNARD) ROSENTHAL. TWO PAINTED ALUMINUM WALLS.

• ARTIST.

  Tony (Bernard) Rosenthal
  (American, b. 1914–d. 2009)

• TITLE.

  Two Painted Aluminum Walls

• DATE.

  1963

• MATERIALS.

  Aluminum, paint

• DIMENSIONS.

  156 x 216 in.
  (396.24 x 548.64 cm)
  [each wall]

• Address.

  In the food court on the 2nd level at Westfield Century City (mall) at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90067

Part of the original architectural program of the Gateway Buildings.

Tony (Bernard) Rosenthal’s Two Painted Aluminum Walls are tucked into an unassuming corner of the food court on the 2nd level at Westfield Century City mall. At one time, the sculpture had a grand presentation, mounted in the entrance lobby of the Gateway Buildings at 1801 Avenue of Stars–two of the first buildings constructed in Century City. The sculptural wall murals were designed as part of the original architectural program of the Gateway Buildings that stood at the entrance to the new “city within a city.”

The owner of the building and the patron of Two Painted Aluminum Walls was ALCOA (Aluminum Company of America). Rosenthal’s large-scale abstract aluminum sculpture paired harmoniously with the mid-century modern aesthetic of simplified geometry that dominated LA architecture in the 1960s and 70s. When ALCOA moved out of the Gateway Buildings and as Century City developed, Two Painted Aluminum Walls were removed from the original locations and relocated to a quiet food court in Westfield mall.

The current placement in the food court remains appropriate since aluminum and its alloys are frequently used in refrigerators, cooking utensils, and food packaging.

Behind the Scenes.

Born in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago, Tony Rosenthal lived in Los Angeles from 1946 to 1959. This was after he studied at Cranbrook Academy of Art and enlisted in the US Army and Air Force during World War II to create topographical maps and teach art to soldiers. In 1952, he was hired as the first sculpture instructor at UCLA. Many of his sculptures are showcased across Los Angeles as well as other metropolitan cities, such as Manhattan and Philadelphia.

Look for another wall relief by Rosenthal at the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden at UCLA. You’ll find it in our Access! guide.

SPARK A CONVERSATION.

At a distance, move from one end to the other of the massive wall mural. As you walk, notice the shifting color and reflections on the painted surface.

• Does it remind you of anything found in the natural world or in a city environment?

Now move in to take a closer look at the work. Run your fingers across the silver surface to search for various textures and find the grooves throughout the piece. There are places where the rough edges seem to be smoothed over by a putty-like substance.

• Describe the textures you find.

Aluminum is highly malleable. It can be drawn into wire or rolled into sheets, sometimes as thin as foil.

• What tools did Rosenthal use to create the relief areas–his fingers, a knife, trowel, saw, roller?

Light animates the wall relief.

• What movements do you see in the play between light and shadow–fluid, vertical, erupting?

• Can you describe patterns that appear—ruffles, shingles, fence slats?

• What colors do you see—blue, gray, silver, black?