"Agora"
Artist: Magdalena Abakanowicz
This is a peice of 106 nine foot tall torso and leg sculptures walking in all different directions made from cast iron. The name Agora comes from the Greek meaning "meeting place." Growing up Magdalena was obsessed with the image of crowds. She states, "I suspected that under the human skull, instincts and emotions overpower the intellect without us being aware of it.” This is why I feel she did not include any heads with her sculptures. The fact that she used cast iron was thought out I believe. Knowing these would be outside and get wet and rust leaves a bit of rust color on the ground by the feet. This could be interpreted as a shadow.
For me this sculpture speaks to me because I have seen it first hand. It is one thing to see a photograph, but a completely different thing to stand right next to the nine foot tall sculptures. I saw them from far away and remember running over to see them and could not stop taking pictures. I was using my sight, my touch, and even my smell while I was examining them.
This sculpture is unique in its own way. I like the fact that the heads were not included. We, as human beings, tend to focus in on facial appearance for attraction first in any situation. We do this before we look within to see someone's personality or talent. Why is that? This is a question that has always been in the back of my mind.
ReplyDeleteI think it is because that is the first thing we see as human when we first meet someone.
DeleteWhen I first seen the sculpture I thought it was ugly but after reading the information about it, I was able to look at it in a different way and I like it. Due to the fact we have to stop looking at what the person look like.
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ReplyDeleteI also posted this structure. Is this the Agora sculpture in Chicago Illinois???? That's where I seen and learned about this sculpture.
ReplyDeleteWhy yes it is...I also went there and saw them. Pretty weird at first but crazy when you get up close how tall they are.
DeleteWhy yes it is...I also went there and saw them. Pretty weird at first but crazy when you get up close how tall they are.
Deletevery interesting! i bet is very impacting to see such big sculptures next to you... i bet you feel small and insignificant in a world of giants...
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that! Im sure the size adds greatly to the magnificence of these sculptures.
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