El Paso de Los Suenos or "The Gateway of Dreams"
By Gene Flores
Commissioned by the City of Sunnyvale - 1985
This bronze sculpture serves as an homage to both early and modern settlers of
Northern California. From the Spanish settlers of the 1600's to the entrepreneurs
of the 1980's, people have found great abundance in the Santa Clara Valley region
and this has inspired the "dreamer's passion for exploration and invention."
The focal point of the sculpture is the rift or gateway, and is reminiscent of the
geological structure of the area. In keeping with the California attention
to
winter and summer solstices, Flores has incorporated the sun's activity into the
design.
During winter solstice, the sun is low in the sky, light falls through the
rift creating a wide sunlit path., During this time of the year, conversely,
when the sun is at its peak during the summer solstice,
a thin beam of light throws a very narrow shadow.
Gene Flores' sculpture draws from the geology, history, and spirit of California. He
communicates a sense of strength, simplicity, and organic subtlety. It is a tribute
to the past, present, and future inhabitants of the area, who come here to make
new discoveries and realize their own dreams.
