Junk Sculpture of Star Wars C3PO (Gone)
Emeryville, California
The industrial neighborhood in this northwest corner of Oakland is quiet, practically deserted, on a weekend afternoon. The little cluster of statues in front of a recycling business is an unofficial attraction, and posted signs, fortified windows, and multiple security cameras suggest a brief stop is best made during the day.
The star at Alliance Metal is C3PO, a very detailed junk art version of the jabbering linguist from the Star Wars universe. He's an amalgam of bent metal, gears and bicycle chains, in that familiar "I'm lost! Help meeee!" pose. Earlier photos show C3PO was originally left to rust and weather, but he's now painted gold.
There are other well-done scrap metal sculptures: a big frog suckered onto the side of the building, a woman with a potted plant on her head, and an orangutang with a car grill chest and odometer nipples.
The sculptures are signed and dated, created between 1999 and 2005 or so.
