Background

The project, entitled “Fine Balance,” is aptly named: Victorian bathtubs will be balanced upon iron stilts on downtown Petaluma’s Water Street. Goggin’s public statement on his website asserts that the inspiration is drawn from Petaluma’s history as a shipping hub, trading goods with San Francisco; more specifically, trading produce and poultry for clawfoot bathtubs. Although public art in Petaluma has often been connected to the local poultry and dairy industries, this piece addresses a frequently forgotten aspect of those industries. Throughout time, the riverfront location of Petaluma has made it very appealing for tourists and trading — and much of it survived a 1906 earthquake in Sonoma and Marin counties, meaning downtown Petaluma serves often as a time capsule of what life was like in the 19th century. 

“Many claw and ball tubs procured from this trade activity are still in use at many local residences,” Goggin’s statement says. This style of surrealism is typical for Goggin: he has worked with furniture as a part of a structure that behaves in a bizarre way or seems to have come to life in his history with public art pieces. For example, in his piece “Defenestration” (meaning to throw something out of a window), chairs, couches, and tables are attached to the outside of an abandoned, four-story apartment building in San Francisco. The same animated, lively approach is reflected in “Fine Balance.”

In January, Goggin and the PPAC conducted what they called a “story pole event.” Goggin set up a mock-up of what the piece would look like when completed. Since this event and Goggin’s public meetings describing his motivations and inspiration for creating the piece, “Fine Balance” has received many strong reactions.