Last week, I went to Harvard to see Sam Harris speak. While there, I came across a few pieces of site-specific art. Two pieces stuck out in particular, both in the science building. First, at the entrance of the building was a golden Mobius strip. This piece made an excellent use of light; the reflections changed from every angle, making the surface appear to flow and distort. Also, the mere fact that the piece is a Mobius strip makes it well-suited to a center for math and science. Another interesting piece was the biologically themed sculpture hanging from the ceiling. In front of the chemical formula for a certain organic molecule (I forget which) hangs the physical model of the molecule. This piece is reminiscent of high school chemistry classroom demonstrations, giving the piece a nostalgic feel. Plus, its aesthetic appeal and central location make it a visually appealing piece as well. These two works struck me, and made me look around and appreciate the Harvard science center.
Visiting the Lawn on D to see Illuminus was an interesting experience. The lawn included two adjacent cubes with statues inside. The larger had a large rose, which seemed to juxtapose the organic, wild nature of a rose with the enclosure (the cube looked much like a prison cell) and artificiality of society. There was also a chair in the smaller cube, which seemed to illustrate confinement (in a similar way to the flower). Beyond these sculptures was the Illuminus event. The first attraction was the swings. Not only were these visually attractive, but they were also fun to swing on. Unlike most works of art, the spectator was actually able to participate in the work of art. The movement of the swings from afar gave the sense of movement, and up close, visitors could participate in the nostalgic swinging that the swings encouraged. Similarly, the Kinect display allowed spectators to change the observed work of art. Jerome and I had fun acting as models for the abstract art, and many others clearly did the same. The fluidity of the work made it unique, and the participation made observing fun.
Finally, on the ground were several works of sidewalk art. My favorite was the aquatic on below, because it had a sense of depth (due to the different hues), and had a good blend of realism and fantasy. Other works included dedications to certain individuals, praise to the city of Boston, and many other illustrations.
I also recently visited the Boston Museum of Science for an astronomy course. There is a lot of site-specific there, all of which areunique. One of the most interesting pieces was a collection of diffraction lenses which changed appearance based on the observer's position. It illustrated an important principle of the behavior of electromagnetic radiation while also providing an attractive compilation of images. In accordance with this theme of light, the lobby had many hanging light fixtures which were very basic, but changed color and were soothing to the eyes. Finally, just outside the museum stands a towering tyrannosaurus rex statue. It is not only a strikingly realistic statue, but it gives visitors an indication of the scale of the museum, making the MoS seem a titanic and impressive institution (which it certainly is!)
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