d’Arte Board

Steve Lambert’s giant interactive sculpture greets visitors at the entrance to the deCordova museum. It’s part of the 2012 biennial show on view through April 22.

Interesting note: this work was partially funded through Kickstarter.

A couple of weeks back, my pal Bodart and I took a trip to The deCordova sculpture park and museum in Lincoln Mass. Despite having lived in western Mass for over a decade, neither of us had ever been. I’d heard great things about the place and was not disappointed. The museum held three floors of compelling contemporary art which I was unfortunately not allowed to photograph. I was especially disappointed not to be able to snag photos of Soo Sunny Park and Spencer Topel’s collaborative installation “Capturing Resonance” as it’s a particularly photogenic work. So do follow that link, and better yet, go see and hear it for yourself!

We did, however, take pictures on our jaunt around the grounds, some of which I will post below. The park is set in a partially wooded area overlooking a large pond, and the landscape provides a beautiful backdrop for the art. I was delighted by how wonderfully the sculpture park was designed. Your vantage point continually shifts as you walk along, as do the surroundings and how they relate to the sculptures. At times, the environment and the art echo each others’ shapes and textures so much so that a sculpture will blend in only to reveal itself once you are nearly on top of it. Other times, the landscape provides a vignette or marker that frames or points to a work in a more obvious, even theatrical manner. Wandering around the grounds was my favorite part of the day. I’m looking forward to visiting again to experience the park during different seasons.

by Michael Hansel

by Albert Paley

by Fletcher Benton

by John Wilson

by Bob Boemig

by Daniel Ladd

by Robert Schelling

by Tom Chapin

by Martha Friedman

by Laura Ford

by Michael Rees

by Jaume Plensa

See more pics here.

The end