Monday, November 28, 2011

Sentinel/ Our World

 Metal sculpture on campus at Rochester Institute of Technology

Visit the Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta, New York (U.S.A.) and Sentinel is nearly impossible to miss. It is approximately seven storeys high and positioned at the centre of the campus. Former RIT professor Albert Paley constructed it in 2003, which must have been quite a feat as apparently the sculpture weighs about 110 tons.

We visited the campus on Friday, part of our five-day visit with family in Upstate New York over Thanksgiving.

Another view of the sculpture

I am betting some of you are wondering what this sculpture represents. I don't know for sure, but some people say it's a horseman on his steed. Others claim superpowers use this structure to control the weather. Still others say it symbolizes the unity of the various colleges on campus. What do you think?

Click HERE to see tons more photos celebrating Our World.

48 comments:

VP said...

Interesting artifact and quite a funny story about the weather...

Jill said...

Very interesting and thought provoking.

MadSnapper said...

i think it looks like a pile of metal. not to my taste at all. i do love metal sculptures but not this one. i do like the story about the weather people using it. with 7 stories high planes and helicopters shroud be wary

Penelope Notes said...

Hmmm … I think it certainly must represent some extremely weighty psychological viewpoint. But from a distance it seems to have been designed to baffle the common man. :)

ArtandArchitecture-SF.com said...

Love the sculpture, clad you put in the dimensions, you don't get a sense of how absolutely huge it is by a photograph. Being around artists most of my life, I never ascribe a definition to a piece, I have found they don't either most of the time.

TexWisGirl said...

i'd hate to venture a guess...

Sharon said...

What an amazing piece. I could look at it for hours. I find it very pleasing.

Diane AZ said...

I find it attractive and inspiring! Nice images; looks like it was a beautiful day.

Crafty Green Poet said...

It looks fascinating, like the kind of sculpture I would want to walk round to get a real idea of it. It's quiet ugly really, but interesting

Gillian Olson said...

That is a big sculpture,and heavy too. I think I would have to walk around it gert a feel for the meaning.

Viola said...

I don't really know what to say about this one.. ;) but the picture is good! And the object is quite original! :)

Darla said...

I really like the sculpture, it seems to have a sense of movement to me - I don't need to know what (if anything) it symbolizes to enjoy it.

Darla

Susan said...

Haven't the foggiest what it looks like. Are you sure aliens didn't make it? Maybe it does control the weather. If so, you better stay on it's good side.:)

RedPat said...

Art meant to provoke dialogue! It's huge!!

cieldequimper said...

I have no clue and wonder if that's a good sign!

Louis la Vache said...

What does «Louis» think about this "sculpture"?
«Louis» thinks it was a creative way to get paid for stacking a bunch of scrap metal together without the benefit of artistic merit...

Ms. Becky said...

hmmmm. that's a compelling sculpture for sure, and question too. I think it represents the 4 elements - wind, fire, water, and earth. that's my best guess anyway, and I love the sculpture for that very reason. it fosters conversation and thought. what could be better than that? great shot EG. thanks for the nudge today. happy week to you.

Carver said...

My first thought was an abstract windmill, maybe after a joust with Don Quixote. Very unusual sculpture.

Lesley said...

Words fail.... bit it is interesting to look at.

George said...

I'm not sure of what this represents, but then I'm primarily a traditionalist when it comes to art. It's interesting, and I don't dislike it, but I just don't want to interpret it!

Craver Vii said...

If we were playing word association and I saw that image, my first impression would be words like: stress, tension, headache.

It's fine with me if someone else likes it, but it's not my cup of tea. My analysis? The lines are hard and seem to be random. I am not drawn to a focal point. The gray top blends to easily in the background of the sky, and the red base blends too easily with the background of the brick.

Of course, someone will look at my photography or paintings and call them shallow drivel. I'm okay with that... Art appreciation is highly subjective.

Unknown said...

I think I'll pass on the meaning, but my initial reaction is to like it. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Snap said...

I have no idea what it means (or if it is used by superheros), but it is impressive! Quite a collection of *stuff*!!!

B i r g i t t a said...

A funny piece of art - creative work :)

eileeninmd said...

It is an interesting sculpture, I am not sure what it is though. I hope you enjoyed your visit to new York. Great photos, have a wonderful week!

My name is Riet said...

Very interesting sculpture here. Always attract attention .

Dawn said...

I've never been great at interpreting these types of sculptures. I don't know whether I use that side of my brain;)
It's sure interesting!

Sylvia K said...

Terrific captures, interesting sculpture, but I have no idea what to guess as far as what it represents! I'm inclined to go along with Louis!! Hope you're enjoying your visit! Have a great week, EG!

Sylvia

Lowell said...

It's very striking and would be difficult not to notice...I like it but would be interested in what, if anything, it meant to Mr. Paley.

Halcyon said...

Whatever it is, I like it!

lotusleaf said...

Seven stories high!Hardly a thing to miss!

Al said...

Cool sculpture, and it sounds absolutely huge. Nice shots, although I don't ever remember seeing blue skies in the four Novembers I spent in the Albany area!

Inger-M said...

That's an impressive structure! Can't really say that it reminds me of anything...maybe there's something to the weather control idea LOL! Nice shots anyway!

Michelle said...

Great sculpture!

Jim said...

What a great sculpture.

Martha Z said...

It does stimulate the imagination.

Rose said...

It reminds me of a pile of Roger's scraps out in his shop....only magnify it hundreds of times.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I'd love to see it in person. What a huge structure.

I think it represents the inner realm of our outer consciousness or the outer realm of our innner consciousness. I'm not sure which.

Merike said...

Looks very interesting :)

Andrea said...

It could be many things to different people as art objects normally are! It's good you put the dimensions because the photograph doesn't show it, a 7 story-high metal structure means a lot of money! It can already feed a family of underprivileged.

Arija said...

A large and imposing sculpture but considering the carbon footprint, perhaps a little unsettling.

Anonymous said...

An interesting sculpture. I'm glad you shared it with us.:)

Marites said...

it looks like one of the Transformers to me:) have a good week! My RT is here.

Francisca said...

I'm hoping it controls the weather, because otherwise it fails to grab me. Your report and photos are great, though. :-)

hannah said...

EG, couldn't believe my eyes:
Henrietta, NY.
And I know exactly what this represents: the roof of a 1957 Cadillace Fleetwood, groaning under the weight of a ton of 19th century French Provincial bedroom furniture which we had bought in the Trading post on the outskirts of that little township.
We drove back home gingerly, but happily stopped halfway and watched a movie in a drive-in along the way. Those were the (carefree)days :-)
And I still have those lovely pieces in my dressingroom.

Thanks for the memory coming back to me :-)

Judy said...

I was thinking about the variety of colours in it. Most sculp0tures seem to have a more limited palette. And I was wondering about the size of it - how does the earth hold up that much weight concentrated in one place...
Sometimes I think that modern art is about making you think, more than what it is about...

Anonymous said...

What a great sculpture!

Indrani said...

Interesting sculpture.

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East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.