Remember folks who said "I read Playboy for the articles."? I don't read the sports section, but I do look at the pictures. This caught my eye as I was cleaning the birdcages. Best to read things BEFORE putting under the birds......
Figurative sculpture has a unique power, regardless of how well it's done or if. Obviously less animate than a living thing, but because the sculpture is ABOUT life, we relate to it with some emotion.
This article by Billy Witz was in 11/22/08 New York Times "Officials at Brigham Young University shrink-wrap the statures on campus to prevent the fans of Utah State University from painting them red."
The sculpture becomes a hostage to the team rivalry.
Protective plastic transforms them into abstract sculpture. And raises many questions.
Are they a modern version of the dressed up saints and icons of Christianity? Or more like the covered versions, concealed images under deep purple cloth of Lent? The photos by George Fry make one sculpture, of Brigham Young, look as if its covered in a veil of ice. Are they covered for the entire football season? Is the temporary revision of the figures ignored by all or does it allow folks to actually see them, as fresh as when they were originally dedicated when the wrapping comes off? Do they have a ceremony to wrap/unwrap or is it janitorial work?
No comments:
Post a Comment