Posted
on June 23, 2016
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| I captured this statue with my husband next to it... plus strangers behind! Very cluttered!! |
How
do I photograph sculptures?
I
often – maybe too often – photograph a sculpture with my husband
or one of my kids standing in front of it (or behind it, or next to
it...you get the idea!).
I
figure, if one of my family isn't going to be in the photograph,
maybe I should just buy one of the gorgeously photographed postcards
of the sculpture, right?
Now
I read that a sculptor has deliberately created a work to capitalize
on my tendency – which is apparently common: she created her “Tree Troll” sculpture so that
it will look good with people kneeling or standing near it, in
photos! In her words:
“There
is a great deal of beautiful art in this city, but most of it only
looks good standing by itself. The classic monument style is
cluttered and diminished if there are people standing in front. I
wanted to create a sculpture whose composition was completed when
someone was nearby. It should look at its best with the public
involved.”
Cool
beans!
And, take a look at her result - WAY cool beans!
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| The completed Tree Troll, with the artist (above). The original model Graham made of her concept included the idea that people would pose with the troll (below). |
Some
have called sculptor Kim Graham's giant troll an “eco troll”
because she made it with reclaimed lumber, repurposed cardboard,
packing tubes and lettuce boxes and other discarded items. (And I
think I spotted aluminum foil on some of these photos!) He is
considered to be paper-mache.
Graham
led a team of 25 volunteer artists to built it in her Seattle,
Washington, studio.
Once
the Tree Troll was finished, on this date in 2006, he travelled
around Seattle for two years. He would show up at fairs...at
parades...at markets. And when he showed up, people were delighted to
see him, pose with him, photograph him!
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| I love the expression on the Tree Troll. And I am not a bit surprised that the artist conceived of the piece as a way to honor the memory of her beloved father. |
The
Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas purchased the Tree Troll, to be put on
display for a few months around Thanksgiving. I am not sure if the
Tree Troll is still displayed at the Bellagio – but since he is
kept indoors in a climate-controlled environment, he may well be!
Note that the varying lighting changes
the "look" of the Tree Troll...
the "look" of the Tree Troll...
I
gather that Graham has married and changed her name to Kim Beaton; I
also gather that she has made a more permanent outdoor version of her
Tree Troll. Check out her website.
Also
on this date:
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Plan
ahead:
Check out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
