Headwaters, 2002

Larry Kirkland

American
Granite and Tile

Texas Tech University
English/Philosophy and Education Complex
Courtyard inbetween the two buildings

The central fountain features two monumental hands holding letters of the alphabet. The letters remain a fragment of a word and symbolize the potential for communication and thirst for knowledge. Water pouring over the fountain reminds the viewers of the variety of sounds that letters create. On all sides of the fountain, the artist placed carved books and sculptural motifs that invite contemplation: an egg on a nest suggests nurturing new ideas, a book with water ripples carved on its surface implies dissemination of knowledge, a house with a keyhole portal suggests opportunities for education within a community, a boat with a series of water ripples carved on its surface is a metaphor of life’s journey.