Monday, August 5, 2013

All You Need Is Love

Citygarden 2013-08-03 1

John Lennon said that all you need is love. Last Friday's post told us that love is the answer. Who better to personify love than Eros, Greek god of the same? Igor Mitoraj's Eros Bendato (Eros Bound) is probably the most popular sculpture in Citygarden. The plinth is a gently sloping circle with water trickling down the surface. It is hollow - you can climb inside through the neck and kids can peek out through the eyes. It looks like something natural - sort of.

But then you have to try to understand it.  Was Eros bandaged or were his eyes and mouth deliberately covered at another time? Is it about repression of vision and speech, injury or perhaps death of love? And what's with that notch in the neck? And why are the eyes empty? (Greek sculpture used plain spheres for eyes. The Romans introduced carved irises and pupils. This is neither.)

I'm just askin'.                             
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9 comments:

  1. Oakland Daily PhotoAugust 5, 2013 at 12:36 AM

    Eros is not only bound but decapitated and hollow. Maybe the artist was gravely disappointed by love.

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  2. OlivierAugust 5, 2013 at 12:45 AM

    beaucoup de questions pour un lundi matin...Peut etre que tout simplement que l'ami(e) de l'artiste venait de le quitter, alors vision pessimiste de l'amour dans le monde

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  3. cieldequimperAugust 5, 2013 at 1:11 AM

    Yes, a lot of questions! Mine is: how does it feel to walk through a head?

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  4. VirginiaAugust 5, 2013 at 9:16 AM

    And I ain't got no answers B. I do know I've always like this piece and if I ever get to The Lou, take me there first.
    V

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  5. TheChieftessAugust 5, 2013 at 1:07 PM

    Whoa!!! Way too much thought for a Monday morning!!! Interesting sculpture though...

    (I'm with cildequimper...my immediate thought was how morbid to "climb inside the neck" and "peek through the eyes"!!!)

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  6. William KendallAugust 5, 2013 at 4:41 PM

    A peculiar sculpture!

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  7. JackAugust 5, 2013 at 8:36 PM

    All those questions. My head hurts. I will look around and take pictures and leave answers to the earnest among us.

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  8. PerthDailyPhotoAugust 7, 2013 at 2:18 AM

    Interactive artwork and open interpretation ..I think the artist has probably achieved his aim Bob :) I like it and would definitely climb in and peer out of those eyes!

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  9. Stefan JanssonAugust 8, 2013 at 4:15 AM

    Many questions here. But it's an interesting artwork to look at.

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