THE FOUNTAIN BOY
THE FOUNTAIN BOY (ザ・ファウンテンボーイ, Za Faunten Bōi) is the first public art piece created by Hirohiko Araki, which was officially revealed on July 29, 2024 and opened to the public alongside the station building "Inogate Osaka" on July 31, 2024. It is stained glass art depicting the "Fountain Boy", a statue that became the symbol of Osaka Station, alongside seven Stands from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series.
Appearance
The stained glass is housed within a massive, spherical black structure that serves as its frame. The glass is divided into five sections by black metal bars that form a cross shape intersecting at the center, with an additional circular frame at the center of the artwork.
The artwork itself features a central figure, the "Fountain Boy", prominently displayed against a vibrant background. The Fountain Boy is a youthful figure with curly gray hair, expressive blue eyes, thick eyebrows, and a serene yet confident demeanor. He is based on the image Hirohiko Araki had of a Roman boy,[1] wearing a gray sleeveless tunic and a light blue belt with the hand symbol from Lucky Land Communications on the buckle. The Fountain Boy has both of his hands raised, displaying his open palms.
The background is dark blue and adorned with vertical lines to depict falling rain, interspersed with small white droplets. Surrounding the figure are circular motifs including the faces of six Stands from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. These Stands are colored in pink, with Star Platinum and Killer Queen having green backgrounds, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Tusk having blue backgrounds, and Stone Free and Gold Experience having black backgrounds. The upper section has a red background, including the sun and moon on opposite sides, with November Rain colored in green in the center. There are also blue stars surrounding the moon and a cloud beside the sun.
On the sides are two yellow dragons representing 2024 being the Year of the Dragon. Rain falls from their mouths to symbolize the theme of circulation. Below them are flowers and fruits to symbolize the harvest of nature.[1]
History
Original Fountain Boy
The original Fountain Boy is a 1.2-meter-tall bronze statue holding a lotus leaf above its head. Two statues were installed in 1901 when the second Osaka Station building opened. One of the statues later went missing, but the remaining one was displayed in the central concourse of Osaka Station upon the completion of the third station building in 1940. It became a beloved symbol of Osaka Station, often used as a meeting spot by many people. In 2004, during renovations for the fifth station building, the statue was relocated and is now preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum.[2]
Hirohiko Araki's Art Piece
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Creation and Development
This section requires expansion.
Interviews
Gallery
Public Art
Art Plaque
Wall advertisement
Production note advertising JOJO magazine 2024 WINTER
Araki creating the piece
Araki painting
Araki with Ryushi Nakano, from CREARE Atami-Yugawara Studio
Hirohiko Araki's signature
Videos
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 JOJO magazine 2024 WINTER - ARAKI HIROHIKO × STAINED GLASS
- ↑ "噴水小僧についての解説", West Japan Railway Company, May 16, 2024.
