Public Art

One of the traditional functions of sculpture is giving culture a voice that can speak through the passing ages. Public monuments and artworks become an emblem of a people and a time by expressing communal sentiments, distilling the shared aesthetic, and commemorating important individuals and events. Oftentimes, public sculpture is there to convey very specific content, content deemed somehow important to the community.

First, find a work of public sculpture. You might go to a local park, or a nearby government building, or even your high school or local bank. Research the piece to discover its basic details, such as its title, the name of the sculptor. Once you have learned about it, then think about it, but do not write your essay as a “report” on the sculpture.  And DO NOT copy and paste information from another source.  That is plagiarism.

Second, take photos of the sculpture and include one or two of these with your response. Yes, you have to see it in person. Do not upload photos from the internet. (I’ve seen more copies of the Fire Dance sculpture from the City of Fort Myers website than I can shake a stick at–that is not in the spirit of the assignment and will result in a grade of no higher than 70 for the assignment.) If you don’t have transportation, that’s ok, just let me know via Canvas Message and we’ll work something out.

Also, if you have your own photo from a sculpture you have visited personally in another city or country, you can use that. Just talk about why it was important to you and what it made you think about when you were there or after you concluded your visit.

Finally, write your essay. Focus on what it made you think about. What is the subject of the sculpture? How does the sculpture capture and express its purpose? Is it a memorial statue? Does it have a message of some kind?  What does it say about the values of the community socially, aesthetically? Is the sculpture full round? Relief?  Most importantly, though, write about your thoughts as you contemplated the sculpture. What did it make you think about? Did you have any memories come to mind as you looked at it? You don’t have to answer all these questions–they are there to give you an idea of the kinds of things to write about.