It's been so amazing to watch the creation of this piece. The initial vision, the number of people involved, the multiple locations along the road to this unveiling. Bravo Sabin and thanks for sharing Michael.
A beautifully written artist’s examination of this incredible sculpture, Michael. Thank you for that! I have been following Sabin’s journey with this sculpture from the beginning, and the final exhibition is absolutely breathtaking.
A great work. A theme that I perceived in this work is that "all wars are lost," because instead of a conveying victory in this memorial, enshrining heroes, it shows the human toll of all warfare as if in a first person narrative. I'm not sure that this approach has ever been done before in history.
Good observation @Brett Holverstott. In 2006 I discuss how Velázquez in his The Surrender of Breda (1625) cleverly suggests that war is rape. “Though this painting is literally about the civil and very polite-looking surrender of Breda, it is not a stretch of the imagination to see, through Velázquez’s use of erotic symbolism, that this painting is really about destructive rape.” https://newberryarchive.wordpress.com/2015/11/05/erotic-symbolism-in-visual-art/
“ This is partly because math is integrated with emotional pathos. The intensity of the expressions is what the viewer registers most intensely, but the powerful geometry is technically so brilliant that it provides a drum roll to the high emotional notes.” So well stated, and applies to other art like music?
Thank you for commenting @Charlotte Pendragon. I recall that ancient Greeks taught music in general but not math, as music killed two birds with one stone. : )
I used to live right outside DC, I am sad this wasn’t completed a few years ago! It is incredible, truly. Thank you for sharing this along with your notes. I am blown away by the beauty and the thought behind it; interestingly we were just examining the battle scenes on the arches of Constantine and Severus today in school and admiring the beautiful sculpture, though that felt celebratory where this feels weighty and harrowing. I love that you pointed out the helmet. Perhaps it’s turned over to show that it’s no longer in use? Honestly, it also reminds me of an offering plate at church, which brings up all kind of notions of sacrifice and giving; he is handing her the offering of freedom?
Love your speculations about the helmets. I don’t know, but I like the mystery of it. I had talked with Sabin some years ago. I silently worried about the obstacles of getting a public work of that magnitude done because of the prominence of abstract art. We were connected on IG but I left it years ago, and then on X I was delighted to see he was realizing it!
What a marvelous piece! By "piece" I mean both the overwhelmingly ambitious sculpture, as well as Michael's description and meditation on it!
It's been so amazing to watch the creation of this piece. The initial vision, the number of people involved, the multiple locations along the road to this unveiling. Bravo Sabin and thanks for sharing Michael.
A beautifully written artist’s examination of this incredible sculpture, Michael. Thank you for that! I have been following Sabin’s journey with this sculpture from the beginning, and the final exhibition is absolutely breathtaking.
One of the most Astonishing - Emotionally & Physically Powerful Works I’ve Ever Seen ! 🦎🏴☠️
Indeed. 🙌
Wow. Thanks for talking us through this remarkable work of art.
Thank you Robbie. I was glad to see the opening was heavily promoted by Flynn, Cutler, and Erik Prince on X.
A great work. A theme that I perceived in this work is that "all wars are lost," because instead of a conveying victory in this memorial, enshrining heroes, it shows the human toll of all warfare as if in a first person narrative. I'm not sure that this approach has ever been done before in history.
Good observation @Brett Holverstott. In 2006 I discuss how Velázquez in his The Surrender of Breda (1625) cleverly suggests that war is rape. “Though this painting is literally about the civil and very polite-looking surrender of Breda, it is not a stretch of the imagination to see, through Velázquez’s use of erotic symbolism, that this painting is really about destructive rape.” https://newberryarchive.wordpress.com/2015/11/05/erotic-symbolism-in-visual-art/
25 tons? Mind boggling Michael 🤯
“ This is partly because math is integrated with emotional pathos. The intensity of the expressions is what the viewer registers most intensely, but the powerful geometry is technically so brilliant that it provides a drum roll to the high emotional notes.” So well stated, and applies to other art like music?
Thank you for commenting @Charlotte Pendragon. I recall that ancient Greeks taught music in general but not math, as music killed two birds with one stone. : )
There ya go! 🎶 🧮 🐦 🐦
I used to live right outside DC, I am sad this wasn’t completed a few years ago! It is incredible, truly. Thank you for sharing this along with your notes. I am blown away by the beauty and the thought behind it; interestingly we were just examining the battle scenes on the arches of Constantine and Severus today in school and admiring the beautiful sculpture, though that felt celebratory where this feels weighty and harrowing. I love that you pointed out the helmet. Perhaps it’s turned over to show that it’s no longer in use? Honestly, it also reminds me of an offering plate at church, which brings up all kind of notions of sacrifice and giving; he is handing her the offering of freedom?
Love your speculations about the helmets. I don’t know, but I like the mystery of it. I had talked with Sabin some years ago. I silently worried about the obstacles of getting a public work of that magnitude done because of the prominence of abstract art. We were connected on IG but I left it years ago, and then on X I was delighted to see he was realizing it!