I probably spent half an hour or more with this Anselm Kiefer sculpture, slowly walking around it, standing, crouching, looking, moving, and looking some more. It is a very powerful experience to be in the presence of this piece. This is how it is described: "Etroits sont les Vaisseaux (Narrow Are the Vessels), an 82-foot-long work of cast concrete, exposed rebar, and lead, rolling in ribbons through the gallery like waves along the shore. The concrete evokes rubble, the aftermath of war, natural disaster, and structural failure of immense proportions." You are not going to believe why this sculpture is presently on display at MASS MoCA - The sculpture was on the lawn of its owners in Fairfield, Connecticut. The town’s Historic District Commission insists that the 80-foot-long, 4-foot-high object meets the legal test for a structure and requires a certificate of appropriateness! A "structure?" It is a work of art! The owners lost a court case, which would have allowed them to keep it on their lawn, and so they had the 40-ton sculpture moved to its present site at the museum. Lucky for us, it turns out.
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Well, a couple thoughts came to mind this morning when I saw this post: 1) beauty is in the eye of the beholder and 2) art can be controversial - as it should be. I'm not surprised the historic district of Fairfield, CT found this piece objectionable. This piece would never be allowed to rest permanently in the historic district of Charleston, SC, either. While many would agree the piece is interesting, I am quite sure the artist would be very unhappy to receive universal approval of his unique sculpture.
Jas: The strange thing is, I found a photo of the piece on the front lawn of the people who own the sculpture. The sculpture was behind a row of hedges, and is not visible from the road. Ya gotta' love the Fairfield, CT town fathers!
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