teaching torso

Q: Hey, what do you call a guy with no arms or legs, who just hangs on the wall?

A: "Art."

.

What do you see here? I see a man who considers himself big because he has an "open mind," but in reality, he just has a big hole in his head. As a result, he is not capable of doing anything (no hands) or going anywhere (no feet). It should serve as a warning to the passers-by in this plaza, but my guess is that the majority view the subject without discernment, and simply consider it "art." What we have here may not be a clarion call, but rather a subliminal challenge to think. "The mind is a terrible thing to waste."

.

Artistic expressions are not exclusively aesthetic, though sometimes a person does a thing "just because." The artist has a worldview, and a careful observation allows us to get inside that person's head and see beyond the surface of their work.

.

So, what do you say? Am I making any sense here, or do you think that it is really me who has a hole in the head?

.

[2,000 lb bronze sculpture Torso di Ikaro by Artist Igor Mitoraj at the historic Old Post Office Plaza in downtown St. Louis.]