"90% of Oscar" by artist Kenyon Lewis.

90% of Oscar

Geyserville, California

Since we were traveling from an Egyptian temple just north, this figure in a dirt pull-off at first seemed to be a headless Egyptian mummy. Named "90% of Oscar," it's also a nod (without a head, of course) to the iconic Academy Awards statuette. The nine-ft. tall statue was created by artist Kenyon Lewis from stacked layers of colored concrete held together with a metal armature.

Across the street from 90% of Oscar is another unusual sculpture, "Man on the Verge of Total Fragmentation" by Judson King Smith. The scrap metal work looks like an attempt at an inter-dimensional launch gone horribly wrong, with tilted rail, conveyance and dummy splitting in half.

Both pieces are part of "Geyserville Celebrates the Arts" with seven outdoor works spread along the road south of town. Organizer Victoria Heiges told us that she hopes these thought-provoking and often humorous pieces will draw travelers into town. She said that Oscar is there for at least six months (if someone doesn't buy him, because all the sculptures are for sale). We lobbied a bit for permanent art landmarks, and there's a possibility these seven will remain as Geyserville adds more public sculpture.