It might not be finals week yet, but we’re still going to praise this beloved statue
By SAIRAKSHA THIRUNAVUKKARASU — campus@theaggie.org
In an egg-straordinary race against four formidable opponents, the Bookhead sculpture has been voted the Best Egghead on campus. The sculpture depicts an egg with a humanlike face and its nose buried in a book, imitating a look similar to that of many students during finals season.
Located outside of the Shields Library front entrance, Bookhead has served as a symbol of academia, creativity and even good luck to many students on campus over the years. Students can be seen rubbing (or even kissing) the Bookhead in hopes of performing well on their exams.
Part of a series of five egghead installations, Bookhead was the first egghead to be installed on campus in 1991. The other eggheads include Eye on Mrak (also known as Fatal Laff), See No Evil/Hear No Evil, Yin & Yang and Stargazer.
The late artist behind the eggheads, UC Davis Professor Robert Arneson, made Bookhead the only one of the set painted in light blue as opposed to white so it would match the exterior of Shields Library.
After Bookhead’s installation, Arneson wrote in a letter to New York art dealers that “it’s ready for students to enrich it.” Since then, Bookhead and the other eggheads have served as sites of celebration and protests alike.
The eggheads are not only unique pieces of contemporary art but are also a deviation from Arneson’s usual style which largely involved ceramic sculptures, much of which were self-portraits. He radicalized the view on ceramics as a medium for tools into a medium for art and sculpture.
Though they don’t utilize the same ceramic medium which cemented much of Arneson’s legacy as an artist, some believe the eggheads to be a product of how Arneson viewed himself and his purpose as a professor. This is reflected in the way the eggheads were installed as ground-level fixtures instead of on a pedestal, as initial sketches depicted. By placing the eggheads in areas easily accessible to students, he made it possible for them to connect with the works by observing them up close or touching them.
The sculptures have become objects of pride for Davis, as students, faculty and alumni alike have used the eggheads as creative photo opportunities to mark memorable moments in their lives. Having marked the 30-year anniversary of the eggheads in 2024, Bookhead remains one of the most shell-sational eggheads through the decades. One can say it is indeed all it’s cracked up to be.
