Sculpture: Henry Moore

This sculpture is by Henry Moore and it's called Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae. Made in 1968 and owned by the Seattle Art Museum, this piece is sits in the 4th Avenue Plaza across from the Seattle Public Library. And I have to laugh! Not because I think the piece is silly... but because this it sits outside the building where my back doctor is. Let me tell you, I know about vertebrae and what happens when they get worn down!

I like Henry Moore's sculpture. It makes me want to touch it. It looks worn like the Grand Canyon... eroded by the elements over time. Or, perhaps this is the backbone of an ancient giant, and like pebbles at the bottom of a stream, it has been eroded by the flow of people and cars rushing through the streets of Seattle. Was this what Moore wanted us to see? A broken, worn backbone?
Moore often sculpted the female figure reclining. Is this a representation of the essence of that? Is it the core of the figure?
One of the best things about this sculpture is its relationship to the Seattle Public Library building by Rem Koolhaus. I like the way this organic, smooth and curvaceous form balances the geometry and hard lines that make up the library.

One thing to note... in the lobby of the 4th Ave Plaza building, is this fantastic painting. I wonder if this inspired Koolhaus when he was scouting the location for the public library.