The Beacon

“The Beacon” by San Antonio artist Angel Rodríguez–Díaz is a 28 foot-tall illuminated sculpture serving as a “signifier” to identify the crossroad between Blanco Road and Fulton Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. The artwork has a perforated design on all sides and is illuminated from within like a luminaria (Mexican tin lamp).The perforated design begins at the bottom with symbols of indigenous ancestral life cycles followed by references to the landscape.The design draws a physical and spiritual link between the neighborhood in which it is located and two prominent design styles of the area: Art Deco and the Arts and Crafts Movement. These styles are represented by a “sunburst” motif on the brick pavement of the roundabout and the obelisk-shaped sculpture. The “sunburst”, the most popular of all Art Deco motifs, metaphorically standing for a life giving force and the revitalization of the inner city business corridor. The “obelisk”, is a symbolic sun-ray, and serves as a sundial during the day.The artwork becomes a “beacon” for the neighborhood at night.