my version of Vera's cope

Before leaving for Virginia, I was eager to see the new installation of the large scaled sculptures placed along Riverside South, at the Hudson River, like they did last year.  The Art Students League of New York, for the second year, presents the Model to Monument Program (M2M), a collaboration with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation.  A total of eight new sculptures have been placed along the river to be viewed until June of next year. You can learn more about the program and sculptures here.

After returning from my trip, a stroll along the river was in order just to catch my breathe and regroup…and I was immediately drawn to Damien Vera’s sculpture titled Cope. Beautifully written, here’s his inspiration behind his work:

Change is inevitable and necessary for progress and innovation. While we humans are affected greatly by the constant flux in our environment, most of the change in our lives comes from ourselves.   A significant part of change is processing the new information presented and adapting to a new situation.  Sometimes these events are fortuitous, other times it can be a tremendous personal, emotion, or physical loss. Gain, loss, and adaptation are the very nature of flux. I designed Cope to incorporate this idea with the feelings of solitude and reflection that I sense in the site itself.  The monument’s towering pillars evoke these primal elements to create a personal, visceral experience.

How poignant coming off a week of many experiences and emotions!

Happy Fourth of July everyone!