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Robert Arneson's Eggheads

Stargazer
Bookhead
Yin & Yang
Eye on Mrak (Fatal Laff)
See No Evil/Hear No Evil

Eggheads Walking Tour

Robert Arneson's Egghead series is scattered across the UC Davis campus; some of the sculptures are tucked away and difficult to find. Use the following tour to help you track down all five:

Park at the South Entry Parking Structure, at Bovine Lane and Old Davis Road near the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. After leaving the parking structure, walk north on Mrak Hall Drive, passing the Mondavi Center on your left and the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center on your right. Cross the bridge over the Arboretum Waterway. On the left side of the street, you'll see two grassy knolls about 40 yards apart with an Egghead perched atop each one. This is See No Evil/Hear No Evil.

Just north is the campus's main administration building, Mrak Hall, at the top of Mrak Hall Drive. Cut through the building for temperature-controlled respite. When you exit Mrak on the north side, straight ahead you'll see a single, unblinking eye staring at you from the bald head of Eye on Mrak (Fatal Laff). Don't forget to look at the sculpture from the other side once you've walked past it on Mrak Mall.

Continue down the long, grassy corridor to a main street. This is Hutchison Drive. Cross it and you'll find yourself at Shields Library, where Bookhead is prominently displayed on the entrance patio. If you're here during finals week, you'll probably see many students inside the library doing their best impression of Bookhead.

Turn around and head back to Hutchison Drive where you should turn left. After walking for about 150 yards, you'll come upon the Art/Music/Theatre complex, with the colorful Wright Hall to the south. Yin & Yang is located within the courtyard.

To reach the final Egghead, head north from Wright Hall. Cross Hutchison Drive and follow the path that runs through a bike parking area and between the library and Olson Hall. You'll end up at a bike circle at the intersection of East Quad and Shields Avenue. Continue north on East Quad, passing the Cross Cultural Center and South Hall. Immediately after South Hall, turn right into a courtyard with a circular fountain, and look to your left. Stargazer will be in a grassy area about 30 yards ahead of you.

You've finished the tour. Now you can go head over to East Quad, cross the street and you're your way to the Coffee House to grab something tasty before returning to the parking lot.

Click on the thumbnail images for a larger view.

Bookhead

Name: Bookhead

Location: Outside the Shields Library entrance

Installed: October 1991

Description: The head is face-down, nose buried in an open book with a furrowed brow.

Interesting fact: Bookhead is the only sculpture of the five that is painted a different color (a light blue). It was made from a slightly tougher enamel.

Photo credit: Karin Higgins/UC Davis

Click on the thumbnail images for a larger view.

Stargazer

Name: Stargazer

Location: East of North Hall and south of Young Hall

Installed: May 1994

Description: The head is on its back, staring straight upward with a slight smile on its face.

Interesting fact: Stargazer, with its idealistic gaze into the heavens, is located close to East Gate, the original entrance to the campus.

Photo credit: Karin Higgins/UC Davis

Click on the thumbnail images for a larger view.

Eye on Mrak (Fatal Laff)

Name: Eye on Mrak (Fatal Laff)

Location: North of Mrak Hall

Installed: May 1994

Description: The upside down head points away from the administration building, laughing hysterically. On the back of the head, a single eye stares at Mrak Hall.

Interesting fact: By far, this is the most popular Egghead that people choose to photograph, often with themselves in the picture.

Photo credit: Karin Higgins/UC Davis

Yin & Yang

Name: Yin & Yang

Location: Courtyard outside of Wright Hall, between the Music and Art Buildings

Installed: 1992

Description: Two Eggheads: One, with eyes closed, is speaking. The other head is lying on its side with the back of its head facing the speaker.

Interesting fact: A replica of Yin & Yang sits on the Embarcadero in San Francisco (that's because the Arneson estate owns the Eggheads, and considers each piece an edition).

Photo credit: Karin Higgins/UC Davis

See No Evil/Hear No Evil

Name: See No Evil/Hear No Evil

Location: West of the Mrak Hall Drive, near the School of Law

Installed: May 1994

Description: Two Eggheads face each other on adjacent grassy knolls speaking out of the corners of their mouths. But both lack ears.

Interesting fact: See No Evil/Hear No Evil will be moved later this year to the grassy area in front of Mrak Hall, to make room for the expansion of the law school.

Photo credit: Neal Michel/Axiom Photo and Design