2010-10-28

Maman walks The Line



You have no doubt heard news of the National Gallery's new acquisition, One Hundred Foot Line, planted of late on the foothills of Nepean Point.

I understand that, nominally, it represents a bare, limbless tree. With the right lighting (read: "brooding and dramatic") it's pretty spectacular. It is a tall pointy metal stick to be reckoned with, but not for wimpy, mild cirrus-cloud summer days. Yet I was also kinda jealous when the guys over at OttawaStart.com came up with the line: "A huge monument to sticking your tongue to a cold pole."

The other day, after each of us had wandered down serially to look up (waaaaaay up...) at it, Robin K. from Watawa Life and me had a lengthy philosophical discussion about the phenomenological and epistemological implications of really humongous public art.

Long story short, Robin said he still far preferred Maman, out front. He's cooler on stainless steel toothpicks. Or in his words, "Who wouldn't like a statue of a giant spider?"

About then, some semimythical idiot piped up thoughtlessly, "...but has no one considered how cool it would look if Maman was climbing that steel tree? Epic, in a King Kong on the Empire State Building kinda way! But more spidery and metallic…!"

It was at that fateful point that Robin fatefully uttered the fateful words: "Agreed! Send her up."

Genius.

7 comments:

zoom said...

Fantastic! Maybe you and Robin should put your minds together more often. Who knows what might emerge?

Seventh Heathen said...

Personally I like to think it looks like she's coming down. From some distant hell dimension. The arachnid herald of some far more terrifying host.

Yup, sleeping with the lights on tonight....

TWFKAH said...

All I can say is "I am SO bored."

coyote said...

If Seventh Heathen's reaction is anything to go by, developing a li'l case of arachnophobia'll fix that right up, ma'am...

Moggy said...

Hi there,

Perfect Books person here! *waves* I'm a longtime part-timer at the store so I'm well-aware of you guys and your great blog. :D

I'm actually writing because I'm helping my husband do some press/media work about a book launch he's having at Perfect Books this coming Sunday (November 7th, circle your calendar!)...we'd really love to see the information up here! Is there an e-mail address that I could send our press release to, by any chance? *puppy eyes*

(My husband is Von Allan, aka. Eric...he used to manage Perfect Books in the old days, back when it first opened: 1995! So we go back on Elgin aaagges...I think that makes us Elgin Irregular Old-Timers!) :)

Anyways, thank you for your help!

Moggy (aka. Sam)

p.s.
The website for his book is here if you'd like to peek:

http://stargazer.vonallan.com

Wandering Coyote said...

Oh that is way too horrific! I never liked the idea of Maman and I certainly don't like this any better! Ew!

robin said...

Now, that's what I call a sculpture.