Dallas Museum of Art, Meadows Museum of Art, AT&T; Performing Art Center, Nasher Sculpture Center and etc. Dallas has many venues to observe traditional art. Occasionally, public art, street art and street performers are forgotten form art in Dallas. This week’s piece covers five of the most notable public sculptures in Downtown Dallas.
A girl, about 10, weaves in and out of bronze sculptures at the Pioneer Plaza in front of the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. 53 bronze sculptures to be exact. Since everything is bigger in Texas, the pieces are about 25 percent larger than life. The piece, conceived by Trammell Crow and designed by Robert Summers, is made up of 50 1200-pound longhorns and the three cowboys The Trail Boss, The Cutter and The Vaquero. The group of cattle and cowboys depict a cattle drive through the Shawnee Trail. The Vaquero’s spurs actually spin, which is far more entertaining than it should be. There is even a giant bronze insect to accompany the giant Trail Boss sculpture.
If someone has ever visited Dallas City Hall, they probably noticed the two red polyester spheres floating in a pool of water in front the building. The piece, creatively named Floating Sculpture, is anchored to the bottom of the reflecting pool on swivel mounts to allow some movement. The reflective sculpture, originally displayed in Central Park, New York City, was created by French arties Marta Pan. Floating Sculpture came to Texas after Mary Marcus arranged the piece to be loaned out to the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department in 1974. The piece never returned to New York because it was dedicated in 1978 to the current location.
A hop and a skip over, The Dallas Piece, created by Henry Moore, is also located in front of Dallas City Hall. The massive organic sculpture contrasts with the geometric lines of city hall. The three bronze pieces are positioned in a triangle and visitors can walk through the sculpture. At the right time of the day, the sculptures would be a great place to take some photos.
Most people have heard of the Sodom and Gomorrah story, but most people tend forget the accompanying story of Lot’s wife. In a few words, she turned and looked toward the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and then she turned into a pillar of salt. Mark Macken decided to sculpt Lot’s wife’s stock-still form in bronze. The Stemmons and Crow donated it to the City of Dallas. The 47-year-old sculpture, located at the Stone Place Mall Garden walkway between Elm Stree and Main Street stands on a concrete slab.
Last but not least, Eduardo Chillida’s De Musica is located at Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Two COR-TEN steel cylinders with branchlike arms seem to be reaching toward each other. The 73-ton piece was Chillida’s first major American public work and was specifically designed for the Myerson center.
Next week: Part 2: Dallas’ Graffiti.
