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Aristides Burton Demetrios (1932 – December 12, 2021) was an American sculptor.[1]
Aristides Burton Demetrios, also known as "Aris," was born in 1932 and raised in Massachusetts, where he lived during childhood inGloucester. His fatherGeorge Demetrios was a classical sculptor, trained byAntoine Bourdelle, a student ofAuguste Rodin. His motherVirginia Lee Burton was the renowned author and illustrator of children's books, includingMike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, andThe Little House, for which she won the prestigiousCaldecott Medal. She was also a textile designer, founding the Folly Cove cooperative.
After graduating fromHarvard College in 1953, Aris Demetrios served as an officer for three years in the US Navy. He studied art and sculpture at the George Demetrios School from 1956 to 1959. He studied at theUniversity of California School of Architecture, in 1959.[2]
In 1963, Demetrios won his first national sculpture competition, when his proposed design was selected for a major fountain commission on the campus ofStanford University (White Memorial Fountain, or "Mem Claw").[3] Soon after, he was chosen for a public art commission in Sacramento in front hof the County Courthouse. Next he was selected by David and Lucille Packard to design and fabricate a sculpture for the entry to theMonterey Bay Aquarium (Forms Sung In A Kelp Forest).
Demetrios lived inSanta Ynez, California. He died on December 12, 2021, inSanta Barbara, California, where he lived with his wife, Ilene Nagel. He was 89.[4]
Demetrios successfully completed several monumental public sculptures, includingWind Harp (1967) in South San Francisco;Flame of Freedom,the Bataan War Memorial on the island ofCorregidor; the 80' sculptureCosmos, the fountainPierine in New York City,Breakthrough, etc.)Wind Harp (1967) was designed for and installed on a hilltop in aSouth San Francisco industrial park. Originally it was calledCabot, Cabot and Forbes, after the developers of the industrial park. 92 feet tall and made of open metalwork of rusted steel, it is an aeolian harp, strummed by wind.
From the late 20th century, Demetrios designed, fabricated and installed a large number of commissioned works for the gardens of private collectors, including several bronze fountains. In addition, he had several gallery and museum shows featuring his figurative bronze sculptures, such asTrickster; his abstract bronze sculptures, such asThe Cube, and his painted or patinaed steel sculptures, such asTomorrow's Dreams. Many of these pieces are held in private collections.
In 2002, Demetrios won the "Santa Barbara Beautiful Award" for the most beautiful work of public art. It was given to acknowledge his 18' bronze fountain,Mentors, a centerpiece atSanta Barbara City College, in a site overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The Fountain was donated to the campus by Eli Luria andMichael Towbes, two Santa Barbara philanthropists. Each owns other works by Demetrios.
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