Show me the love

How do you express emotions in public sculpture?
How, in fact, do you express emotions in any form of art?
Writing poems and novels that show/express love is relatively straightforward (not easy- but straightforward).
But putting the emotion into a solid piece of art that is meant to stand wind and sun and passing traffic is a pretty tough proposition. The location can affect its interpretation.

The weather layers more meanings on to the piece. Think of stone lovers in the dirty grey snow of late winter, and then surrounded by mid-summer's greenery. Totally different experiences.

(Photo by Patti Cassidy)

 

I ran across the statue of these two lovers when I was in Manchester, VT. It was a irritatingly grey cold day and when I looked at the shot on my computer, I realized that they seemed melancholy. I expect if I ever got to see them in a flower garden in summer's ripeness, I'd really feel the love.

 

How do you show love in public sculpture?

One way is through recognizable action, like lovers kissing (think Brancusi's "The Kiss"), the embracing couple above, or the clasped hands of Gretna Green. 

 

Another is through abstract expressions of form. In the case of love, they're usually sinuous, sensual, smooth- all of the "s" words that lead up to a kiss. They seduce you to touch them, stroke them. They're usually small and intimate (which makes really good ones hard to find in public spots). They're not monumental. I'm still looking- though I have found many small indoor pieces that totally work for me. If anyone runs across an abstract outdoors- please let me know...

 





 

And then, of course, there are the gigantically obvious text pieces, beginning with Robert Indiana's "Love" statue that stands commandingly over the streets of cities from NYC to Indianapolis. Not much subtlety there. Not my fave type of sculpture.

                                                

 

There is a natural habitat for love sculptures that I've hunted on both sides of the Atlantic. They tear your heart to pieces, and make you yearn to hold your dearest pals.

Watch for my next post...