Perched on an isolated cliff from which it commands amazingly beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, the Timber Cove Resort (21780 N. Coast Highway 1, Jenner, 800-987-8319) is adorned with a sculpture to match Benny Bufano's “Peace Obelisk.”

http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/timber-cove-inn-bufanos-obelisk

 

Benjamino Bufano was born sometime around 1890 in San Fele, Italy, moving to New York City with his family at the age of three. He studied at the Art Students League of New York, and in 1915 won a nationwide art competition with a granite/tile/steel sculpture entitled “Peace.”

http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/timber-cove-inn-bufanos-obelisk

(photo by Imogen Cunningham)

Bufano eventually settled in San Francisco, where his streamlined, minimalistic works of people and animals, usually in granite or marble, were very popular in mid-century. Peace continued to be a frequent theme, and it plays a huge role in the Timber Cover Inn sculpture, which, at about eight stories high and weighing approximately 20 tons, was the largest work Bufano ever created.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/timber-cove-inn-bufanos-obelisk

 

The Expanding Universe

93 foot tall obelisk, built by well-known bohemian artist, now part of 60 ft. circular state park, second smallest state park in California.

 

Also known as “Madonna of Peace” and “The Expanding Universe,” the 93-foot sculpture dominates the cliff to such a degree that it’s visible far down the highway and from all nearby beaches and bluffs. The work is made of concrete, mosaic tile, redwood, and lead.

Like the majority of the artist’s work, the sculpture portrays streamlined, abstracted figures—in this case, Bufano’s oft-used Madonna and child. However, as is also the case with Bufano, little of what you see is as it appears.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/timber-cove-inn-bufanos-obelisk

 

Bufano started working on the obelisk in May, 1962, a few months before the Cuban missile crisis galvanized the world. The reality of Soviet and American ballistic missiles poised for global war doubtless influenced the look of the sculpture (which does, indeed, resemble a huge missile).

But Bufano’s missile—decorated as it is with the Madonna and child and topped by a huge open and welcoming hand—is all about peace and world harmony.

It took seven years to complete the Peace Obelisk. A few months later, in August 1970, Bufano died.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/timber-cove-inn-bufanos-obelisk

 

In many ways, the idea of peace set the tone for Bufano’s outlook on life (he included the word in the titles of many works). He was staunchly anti-war throughout his life, and was considered a radical by most Americans of his day. Shortly after the U. S. entered World War I, Bufano cut off his trigger finger – accidentally, legend says – and mailed it to President Woodrow Wilson as a protest against the war.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/timber-cove-inn-bufanos-obelisk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view of Timber Cove Resort as seen from the base of the obelisk.

http://www.timbercoveresort.com/

 

http://www.timbercoveresort.com/

The feet of the child portrayed on the obelisk

Detail of the glass tiles in the mosaic

 

A "self-portrait" taken while standing at the base of Bufano's obelisk, The Expanding Universe

(Evoking photographer Lee Miller's image made from high atop the Great Pyramid at Giza in the early 20th century)

 

 

 

Note: You don’t have to be a guest of the Timber Cove Resort to get a close-up view of Bufano’s sculpture. Just park in the gravel lot north of the inn and follow the short path leading back to the obelisk.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/timber-cove-inn-bufanos-obelisk

 

 

Located in the courtyard at the front entrance to Timber Cove Resort is a torso also by Bufano.

 

 

Having just come from the obelisk at Timber Cove, here's an espied view of the distant Fort Ross Chapel, as seen while heading south on Highway One.

Looking south along Highway One to the distant Jenner, Whale Cove, Goat Rock, and the end of Russian River

Goat Rock

 

A view from Highway One of Russian River and Pacific Ocean meeting at Jenner

 

A recent shipwreck on the beach along the Sonoma Coast near Goat Rock

Bufano was very well known for his portrayal of animals and statues of St. Francis of Assisi. Here's more from Art and Architecture Around the World:

http://www.artandarchitecture-sf.com/tag/benny-bufano

Timber Cove Resort is perched on the bluffs above the rugged Sonoma Coast with unimpeded views of the Pacific Ocean, wind-swept cypress trees, and towering redwoods. We are located just off Highway 1 between the town of Jenner to the south and Sea Ranch to the north. Our iconic property is 90 miles from San Francisco and 45 miles from Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County airport (STO). We are ideally located for wine tasting adventures in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. The Russian River, Sonoma, and Napa wine regions are within easy driving distance, as are numerous historic landmarks, state parks, and points of interest for hikers, boaters, fishermen, stargazers, and whale watchers alike.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/lodging/timber-cove-resort

 

Here is a link to a newspaper article from 1970 about the death of Benny Buffano.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19700819&id=2f9XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3502,176527&hl=en

(photo by Imogen Cunningham)

Here's an interview with Benny Bufano that was made in 1953.

https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/bundles/191385