click to enlarge Alexandre da Cunha, Mix, Americana, 2013

If you're a fan of Laumeier Sculpture Garden — and who isn't? — you might want to get a look at its newest installation: an ode to a cement mixer.The south county outdoor sculpture park is celebrating its 40th birthday this year with the installation of Alexandre da Cunha’s, a 2013 piece that pays homage to the machine that mixes cement.As it turns out, the piece isn't just a tribute to a mixer; it's actually made of one. The machine has been painted red, white and blue and staged as a sundial.The sculpture is visible from the lower entrance parking lots.As Laumeier staff note in a press release, "When viewers peek inside the steel hallowed chamber, light gently reflects and refracts, creating an intricate web of shadows and shapes, giving splendor and mystery to the industrial barrel. Within the context of Laumeier’s green space,inspires discussion about the suburban landscape and the complex meeting point between natural and manmade environments."The piece, a gift from the artist and CRG Gallery in New York, is only the latest work at the park to tackle where nature meets man. Last year, a piece called "Harmony in 3" honored "the labor that goes into the manicured landscape at Laumeier" by combining modern dance with lawn mowers.