‘Corporate Head’

Almost whimsical, yet rather grotesque and undeniably unusual, the “Corporate Head” sculpture stands downcast with his head completely buried in the wall of an otherwise nondescript office building on South Figueroa Street, hardly ever noticed by passersby.

The life-size bronze sculpture was created by country singer-songwriter and visual artist Terry Allen in 1990, cast using the lost-wax method. It offers a satirical look at contemporary Western society, consumed by consumerism and capitalism, and how one loses their head blindly reaching for profit.

The plaque at the foot of the “Corporate Head” also gives the viewer an idea of his story, in somewhat humorous (yet ominous) prose. It reads:

“They said I had a head for business. They said to get ahead I had to lose my head. They said be concrete & I became concrete. They said, go, my son, multiply, divide, conquer, I did my best.”