The Ram by Charles O. Perry, 1979

This bright yellow steel abstraction was the second* sculpture installed in Town Center Park and remains a colorful focal point opposite Park Tower. Commissioned by Henry T. Segerstrom, the sculpture in its title and form suggest that Perry was inspired by animal horns, but he has taken the idea dramatically into the realm of abstraction, rising above any reference to nature. Believing that sculpture must stand on its own merit without need of explanation, Perry's work is characterized by an elegance of form that masks the mathematical and scientific complexity of its genesis. His sculptures fall into four categories of styles or forms, which he described as "Solid, Topological, Planar, Ribbed." Perry worked in various materials, but primarily in metals such a aluminum, bronze, steel and stainless steel. More than 104 sculptures by Perry can be found in various locations in California. The Ram was fabricated in Rome and shipped to Costa Mesa in four pieces where it was assembled on-site in one day.

• Newport Ensign, June 21, 1879.