Dear Art Lover,
Near Piazza Verdi in Lucca, Italy,
not so long ago, I discovered a wonderful public art exhibition of horses and
about migration [of people]. My last
post:
featured images of Mexican sculptor Gustavo Aceves multi-figure
“Passo
Sospeso” sculpture work of
humans and horses. The entire show is titled
“Lapidarium”
and is just wonderful!
I
quote part of the sign for this sculpture grouping [I rewrote a little to
correct the poor translation to English]:
These sculptures represent a sort of
“monument to the vanquished,” a metaphor of the unceasing migration process over thousands of years.
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| The leglessness made me wonder if the artist wanted this sculpture exhibited just above water. |
This truly monumental horse has his body
split in half. The back half has a tall form
attached, perhaps representing a rider?
Behind that tall shape is a skull attached to a space along the “spine.” There are backwards numbers (like many
license plates) stamped into the torso of the horse, large sets and then many
smaller ones. I am not sure if the bones
mounted at the top back end of the front half of the horse are to imply
starvation or something else.
Compositionally, it aids the eye to look to the back half of the
sculpture, with its gracefully curving top line mirroring the line of the horse’s
neck.
 |
| Bony addition aids composition |
The blue-green patina (frankly, the
easiest to create in bronze, other than black) contrasts nicely with the warm
greens of the surrounding grasses and trees.
I think it is in a lovely spot, along the wall of Lucca, where it may be seen from within and
down below along the road that circles the wall. Perhaps you will get to see this
exhibit? Please pardon the big black
spot in my pictures. I need to buy a new
camera since this is not-repairable, but I have had a lot of expenses this year
and am postponing the shopping.
Enjoy… I hope not too many photos!
Happy birthday, Bob Barton!
Peace,
Kelly Borsheim, artist
P.S. IF original art, while
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