Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Curious sculpture


I'm curious... what would you say this sculpture is "about"? Please don't answer if you are familiar with it.

14 comments:

Scarlet said...

it looks like his muscles are exposed and rotting away, and by the way his "Skin" is folded on his bellyal area, i'd say he's pretty old or decomposing. Kinda like he's melting away. And since it's only half of him, usually when a person only sculpts half a torso, it indicates a limited sense. Whether it be time, or mobility, or balance, it's limited. So, i'd say the artist could have been trying to be expressing a feeling of limited life, because the body is deocomposing, and the torso is only a halfie. And the pose with the arm up, i'm not entirely sure of what that is to represent, but my guess is the reaction of hurt or pain. Why do I think this? Because I spent a greater portion of my life sculpting and creating as well. ANd also I'm a nerd. :D

Scarlet said...

either that or he's reacting to the bad razor burn under his arm.

Brida Connolly said...

I agree about the expression and position of the head and arm as a response to pain or sorrow. He looks like and old and defeated athlete.

Or I suppose he could be being created, even though he seems so hopeless. He could be a half-formed Adam pulling out his rib to make Eve.

Kim said...

His deodorant lost its "uumph"? Wierdlll

DaveG said...

Looks like he's sheltering himself from physical abuse. Cowering from a whip, if you will. Has it got anything to do with some of our less than honorable history regarding slavery?

stacey abshire said...

Well, i find the cattail in the foreground to be located in quite a humorous way.

Philip said...

It's about mortality.

Raymond said...

Perhaps the artist meant some commentary on some deeper meaning, but let's face it... all we really see is... the human cry for deodorant.

--Ray

Rick Lee said...

Sorry it took me so long to get back here. I didn't have access to the Internet all day today where I was working. I think Phillip snuck a peak at the filename... which is fine... the name of the sculpture is Mortality and it's a memorial to the workers who died in the great Hawks Nest Tunnel tragedy. So... this piece of art is an incredibly serious work about a very, very serious event. But dangit... I can't look at the thing without laughing because it looks like he's just checking his BO. "Hmmm... wonder if I need to shower before going out?"

Rick Lee said...

BTW... congratulations to all you folks who gave such serious thoughtful answers. You are better than me.

Rick Lee said...

BTW again... the sculpture is on the grounds of Tamarack in Beckley, WV.

Anthony said...

I wonder if viewing it from other angles would make it easier to see its intended meaning? Got any pics of it from other angles?

Rick Lee said...

I think it looks the same from all angles... here's a slightly different angle.

Raymond said...

Fine Rick. You've made your point. All of us people who made light of the statue... we hang our heads in shame... [sniff, sniff] ...err... hold on a sec... where'd I put that Speedstik? [sniff] ...Ahh... much better... okay... hanging head in shame... :-)

--Ray