The State - News from Aug. 5, 1986

A 20-foot metal sculpture is missing, and San Jose officials fear it may have been destroyed by construction workers who did not recognize it as art. “I feel awful about it, just awful,” said city redevelopment Director Frank Taylor. “It was not a traditional piece of art, but it was a real nice piece.” The sculpture stood on Market Street where the Fairmont Hotel is being built. Consuelo Santos-Killins, a California Arts Council member from San Jose, said construction workers may have placed it in a trash bin and “squished it to bits.” The sculpture, “Great Planes Study No. 7” by David Bottini, was made of metal painted red, white, black and blue. It was 20-feet tall and 5-feet square at its base. The city paid $8,000 for it, but Bottini said he recently sold a similar piece to IBM for $25,000.