Friday, August 31, 2012

Metamorphosis ... A Case of the Big Head - Charlotte, NC

January 2, 2012




Whenever we are traveling south, I try to find some interesting adventures along the way that  break the monotony of the long hours spent on the interstates. We were heading from Greenville, SC to South Boston, VA via US 85. I found an industrial park just outside of Charlotte, NC where a sculpture by David Cerny had been installed. 

David Černý (born December 15, 1967) is a Czech sculptor whose works can be seen in many locations in Prague. His works tend to be controversial. Born in Prague, he gained notoriety in 1991 by painting a Soviet tank pink to serve as a war memorial in central Prague. 
When Anne and I were in Prague, we saw one of Cerny's pieces called, "Hanging Man".
The piece in Charlotte is an enormous head. Each segment of the piece rotates slowly at different speeds and in different directions, eventually re-forming the original piece. Unfortunately, due to the holiday weekend, the sculpture was not rotating. 

                                     

In the USA, we need to do a better job of commissioning public art. It is one of the first things I look for when I am traveling.
This was a great stop.