The City of Mobile welcomes SELFIE to Langan Municipal Park

Feb 19th, 2016

MOBILE, Ala. - The City of Mobile welcomes SELFIE to Langan Municipal Park. A long-term gift from Salinas, California Artist John Cerney, this multi-part installation features life-sized dinosaurs and five admiring tourists who see the giant creatures as the perfect photo op. The work is being erected at the east end of the large island in the lake facing the public area on the north side of the park—as part of the art museum's ongoing "Sculpture Trail" of artworks for visitors to enjoy.

"I want to thank John Cerney and PNC bank for generously donating this priceless gift to the City of Mobile," said Mayor Stimpson. "As we strive to create Destination Mobile, iconic scenes like this will set us apart from other cities. Langan Park is an important part of our community's identity, and this will help bring it back to life after years of neglect. We will continue to partner with the Mobile Museum of Art to revive our parks through the power of art."

Cerney has been recognized nationally in the New York Times, National Geographic, public television broadcasting and in a 2006 one-person exhibition, BIG LANDSCAPE, BIG WEST, at the prestigious Rice Gallery at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Cerney is well known for his popularist billboard size artwork which are designed to be appreciated from afar or driving down a highway. Cerney calls himself a muralist, but found out years ago that painting on a wall restricted the effect he was looking for. He finally concluded that the wall was unnecessary and that the cut-outs could stand on their own, and in 1995, he created a series of 10 large fieldworkers (18 feet tall) for a local farmer who wanted to pay tribute to the agricultural labor force. The landscape behind the figures became the background.

This colorful cell-phone toting T-Rex and friends had been on exhibition at the Mobile Museum of Art until February 14, 2016 but are now located in the park for all the public to enjoy.

"SELFIE casts a humorous light on our cell phone fueled culture, of which it is commonplace," said Exhibition Curator Donan Klooz. "Settings of natural splendor and great works of art (not to mention dinosaurs) are seen as little more than a backdrop for 'I was there photograph'."

SELFIE was gifted to the City of Mobile through the support of PNC.