Did the Beanie Baby Founder Destroy a Bauhaus Masterpiece?

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In 2000, Ty Warner, the creator of Beanie Babies, transformed his toy-making wealth into a lavish real estate empire. This included the acquisition of the iconic Four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara hotel and an impressive adjacent oceanfront conference center property, which collectively cost over $160 million. Along with these stunning properties on the Central Coast, he also obtained a remarkable piece of Bauhaus art – the colossal 1981 sculpture “Walk in Space Painting” by Herbert Bayer.

The statue seems to have vanished from the picturesque garden overlooking Butterfly Beach in 2024, prompting Bayer’s granddaughter to wonder: What became of this treasured work of art?

Koko Bayer, who is both an artist and a documentarian, expressed curiosity during an interview with THR about what drove the individuals to damage this piece of art, and why they felt it was acceptable to do so without first discussing it with the family.

Known for his preference for privacy and avoiding the media spotlight, Warner is currently estimated to be worth approximately $6.6 billion, as reported by Forbes. This wealth was accumulated during the craze of collectible plush toys in the 1990s. Recently, he has been the focus of two films: the HBO documentary “Beanie Mania” (2021) and the Apple film “The Beanie Bubble” (2023), starring Zach Galifianakis. These productions highlighted Warner’s unusual quirks and aggressive business strategies. In 2020, he closed the Biltmore during the pandemic, but the ongoing closure has sparked much debate among locals.

As a gamer, I find myself captivated by the vibrant, 40-foot diameter ‘Walk in Space Painting’ sculpture that stands on a lush lawn adorned with palm trees in Montecito. This stunning piece was carefully crafted from concrete and custom glazed brick in a shallow pool, marking the final masterpiece overseen by Bayer, an 81-year-old artist, during his later years. A polymath born in Austria, Bayer was deeply influenced by the creative philosophies of the Bauhaus School, where he studied alongside revolutionary artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee in the 1920s.

After leaving the Bauhaus in 1928 for Berlin, Bayer thrived in design, until his career was disrupted by Nazi blacklisting and inclusion in their infamous ‘Degenerate Art Show’ in 1937. However, it’s important to note that Bayer’s legacy is complex due to earlier commissions from the Nazis. He eventually sought refuge in New York in 1938. Following a 30-year sojourn in Aspen, Colorado, he moved to Montecito – just a few blocks away from where ‘Walk in Space Painting’ now stands – in the mid-70s due to health issues that forced him to leave the mountains for sea level. He passed away there in 1985.

After Bayer finished the “Walk in Space Painting”, it was under the ownership of Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO), who utilized it for their executive training programs. Interestingly, ARCO had tasked Bayer a decade prior to create a sculpture, now known as City National Plaza in downtown Los Angeles. This piece, titled “Double Ascension”, turned out to be Bayer’s most renowned work – an enigmatic staircase leading nowhere. This structure was notably featured in films such as “Marathon Man” and “Pretty Woman”.

Despite being less widely recognized, the “Walk in Space Painting” is regarded as one of his most significant pieces. Over a span of 20 years, he meticulously refined the sculpture’s structure and delved into the idea of a “walk-through painting.” Constructed at a cost of $147,000, this work featured six freestanding walls reminiscent of Bayer’s canvases and eight stepping stones spread across its pool.

Bernard Jazzar, an expert from the Bayer Center, notes that this is the item which clarifies various facets of Herbert’s career in three dimensions,” says he, who organizes exhibitions at the museum dedicated to the artist, situated on the campus designed by Bayer and run by the Aspen Institute, where I oversee educational programs.

Koko Bayer has been recording videos of her grandfather’s significant sculptures and earthworks for an upcoming documentary since 2019. However, the filmmaker based in Denver hasn’t received meaningful replies from Warner’s representatives concerning permission to shoot the project ‘Walk in Space Painting’ on their Santa Barbara property. “It was like a void,” she explains.

In May, two enthusiasts of Bayer who were trying to admire the sculpture from beyond a low brick barrier at the back of the property notified Koko Bayer that the sculpture had vanished. She hurriedly traveled to Santa Barbara to look into the matter and discovered that Walk in Space Painting was, in fact, missing, seemingly torn out of the ground and replaced with a roughly leveled lawn.

As I gazed upon the empty space where once stood that magnificent game world, my heart sank and a chill ran down my spine – it felt like losing an old friend or a cherished member of our gaming family.

The last known photo of Walk in Space Painting is dated January 2024.

We’ve made repeated efforts to contact Warner’s representatives by phone, email, and text, but have yet to receive a response. Similarly, our attempts to reach out to Koko Bayer have remained unanswered.

“The not knowing is somehow worse than knowing what actually happened,” she explains.

For over four years, both the Biltmore and “Walk in Space Painting” properties on Channel Drive have been left unlit. Lately, however, Warner’s representatives have found themselves in discussions with local officials concerning land use permits, aimed at revamping and reinventing the historic Biltmore property with a targeted reopening in July 2025.

The latest dispute involving the Bayer family is connected to Warner’s high-end projects in Santa Barbara, where there have been issues such as the expansion of his Sandpiper Golf Club encroaching on a protected California red-legged frog habitat and resolving a class action lawsuit filed by workers at the Biltmore who were out of work for a long time.

The Bayer family’s anger stems from ongoing problems related to Warner’s luxury developments in Santa Barbara, including controversies over expanding his Sandpiper Golf Club into a protected California red-legged frog habitat and settling a class action lawsuit brought by long-term unemployed hotel staff at the Biltmore.

Or:

The Bayer family is upset due to the ongoing issues with Warner’s luxury projects in Santa Barbara, including the expansion of his Sandpiper Golf Club into a California red-legged frog habitat protected area and the resolution of a class action lawsuit filed by long-term hotel employees at the Biltmore.

Koko Bayer is convinced that the removal of the Walk in Space Painting sculpture would have caused its destruction. Photos from its construction in 1981 reveal complex underground support systems for its water features and freestanding walls. Neither demolition permits nor any kind of work on the property has been granted since 2009, as stated by the Santa Barbara County planning and development department.

If the artifact was truly damaged or destroyed, Warner might have violated the law. Lawyer MJ Bogatin, who specializes in federal and state art preservation law and serves on the board of California Lawyers for the Arts, points out that under the California Art Preservation Act of 1979, an artwork is granted a moral right to survive for 50 years after the artist’s demise. In such cases, legal action can be taken up to three years following the discovery of its destruction.

Paul Hobson, a San Diego artist who helped Bayer finish the “Walk in Space Painting”, expresses optimism that this artwork might be revived. According to Bayer, his sculptures were designed with precise instructions, making it possible for others to recreate them; he suggests, “Why not rebuild?

Koko Bayer is eager for the possibility. “It would bring me great joy to witness such a resolution, one where this mistake is corrected, and a replica of this sculpture finds its place in Santa Barbara, allowing people to appreciate and engage with it.

You can find this article in the January 3rd edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Consider subscribing for more updates.

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2025-01-08 20:55