Spillover II
 | |
| Artist | Jaume Plensa |
|---|---|
| Year | 2010 |
| Type | sculpture |
| Dimensions | 260 cm (102 in) |
| Location | Shorewood |
| 43°05′21.90″N 87°52′25.73″W / 43.0894167°N 87.8738139°W | |
| Owner | Village of Shorewood |
Spillover II is a public artwork by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa, located in Atwater Park, which is in Shorewood, Wisconsin, United States. The public artwork depicts an 8 1/2 ft. crouching man, whose open form is made up of steel letters. It is installed on a 2 ft. high concrete base and was publicly dedicated on September 21, 2010.[1]
Description
Jaume Plensa's Spillover II is a public sculpture depicting a crouching man whose form is composed of steel letters tack welded together. "The letters that form the open framework suggest that language is our primary tool for experiencing the world and each other, and that we are, essentially, both limited and empowered by this abstract means of translating our experiences."[1] The work is placed on a concrete base looking out onto Lake Michigan at the intersection of Capitol Drive and Lake Drive in Shorewood. It is lit from within and therefore glows at night, acting like a beacon in Atwater Park.[2]
Historical information
Spillover II is the first artwork acquired as part of the Village of Shorewood's public art initiative.[1] Shorewood's plan to collect public art was initiated by the Shorewood Public Art Committee, a sub-committee of the Community Development Authority and Public Improvements Committee, in 2001.[3] Russell Bowman, former director of the Milwaukee Art Museum and current Chicago art consultant, assisted the committee in the choosing of Plensa's work. Jaume Plensa is best known in the Mid-West for his Crown Fountain in Chicago's Millennium Park. Spillover II was chosen from nearly 100 other artists' works because it seemed the most appropriate for the location. Guy Johnson, the Shorewood Village president, described the artwork as a "wonderful gift (that) has given us an unprecedented and extraordinary opportunity to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Shorewood."[3]
Jaume Plensa was present at the sculpture's dedication on September 2010. He thanked Shorewood for giving one of his "children" a beautiful home and expressed satisfaction at his artwork being placed near Lake Michigan where it could engage in a dialogue with its site. "One can see the influences of northern Spain of Plensa's aesthetic. Like his fellow countrymen, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Antoni Gaudi and Joan Miró, there is a playful humanism and a commitment to biomorphic, inventive form infused with an unabashed romanticism."[2] The work investigates the connection between art and nature while also referencing the letter as the original component of poetry.[4][5] It has also been suggested that this paradoxical sculpture, being both partially transparent and solid, is stating that "we are hollow men".[5] Visitors to the park are constantly observed interacting with the sculpture, seemingly encouraged by a connection felt by its human form, as well as the fact that the form changes as one walks around it.[2]
Acquisition
Spillover II was acquired in large part because of an anonymous donor's $350,000 donation.[2] It was additionally supported by the Shorewood Foundation, Shorewood Men's Club, Village of Shorewood Marketing Program and the Village of Shorewood.[1]
Allegations of Anti-Semitic content
On November 14, 2015 the statue was removed temporarily from Atwater Park after a blogger from New Jersey alleged that the sculpture contained the words, “FRY BAD JEW,” “DEAD JEW” and “CHEAP JEW” in its structure, and that the words were placed there by the artist. [6][7]
While the Village of Shorewood was discussing the fate of the sculpture, Plensa informed the village that he preferred to adjust the letters to avoid any future misinterpretations of his work.
The sculpture was returned to Atwater Park on Saturday, January 16, 2016, after Plensa's representatives at the Richard Gray Art Gallery voluntarily modified the sculpture by replacing the letter "e" with the letter "b." [8]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Caprile, Barb (2010-09-01). "Village of Shorewood Celebrates Gift of Plensa Sculpture". Shorewoodnow.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- 1 2 3 4 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
- 1 2 Louise, Mary (2009-07-16). "Sculpture by internationally known artist Jaume Plensa to be placed in Atwater Park". Jsonline.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- ↑ "Nasher Sculpture Center Presents Jaume Plensa: Genus and Species". Moderndallas.net. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- 1 2 "DC AIGA: Jaume Plensa: people of letters". Dcaiga.blogspot.com. 2011-08-30. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- ↑ "Buzz: UPDATE: Shorewood sculpture accused of anti-Semitism temporarily removed". Onmilwaukee.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- ↑ Louise, Mary (2015-11-14). "Sculpture removed from Shorewood's Atwater Park after claims of anti-Semitism". Jsonline.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- ↑ Rumage, Jeff (2016-01-18). "Plensa's 'Spillover II' sculpture returns to Atwater Park in Shorewood". Shorewoodnow.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.