We Too Were Once Strangers

Richard Turner, 2015

This design by artist Richard Turner celebrates the contributions of the Japanese-American farmers while referencing their Japanese heritage. The work consists of a 7’ bronze sculpture of a bunch of celery treated with a dark patina with green overtones (not shown on model) and an antique millstone atop a concrete plinth paved with hand-picked stones. The idea of an oversize bunch of celery (one of the biggest mainstays of the Orange County Japanese-American farmers) alludes to the exuberant American tradition of proclaiming our agricultural abundance.  The paved stones evoke the paving of a pathway in a traditional Japanese garden, while recalling familiar southern California landscaping styles. The millstone, often used in Japanese gardens, represents the history of food production in both east and west. Together, the piece is minimal in style and straightforward in its symbolism.