Lots Tribe

the work

the work                                      

September 11, 2006

Lot’s Tribe: Salt Witnesses

A public sculpture installation by Michael Magrath

SEATTLE – With heightened airport security due to potential terrorist threats, continued and increasing war in the Middle East, and the fifth anniversary of Sept 11^th upon us, Seattle artist Michael Magrath has created a series of site-specific sculptures intended to ask stark questions about the real origins of terror.

Lot’s Tribe is conceived as a temporary memorial to the other victims of 9 /11: Each life-sized figure, cast in ordinary table salt, will be placed in Occidental Park, in Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle in the early morning hours of September 11, 2006. There the white, crystalline figures will stand, sudden incursions of unwelcome reality into our daily lives, until the rains come and slowly they dissolve away. 

"These figures were culled from news images coming out of the Middle East over the past few years," says Magrath.  "The scenes were shocking, and I wondered why they were not more widely seen.  They made me think about what it feels like to witness something so unexpected and vast; an explosion that will permanently alter your life, and how that feeling chages over time.  My intent was to render some sense of these scenes in as real and arresting manner as possible, a kind of 3D photojournalism -- silent monuments to seemingly distant events with which we, whether we recognize it or not, are intimately connected."   

These figures are made almost entirely of salt, which means they will erode over time.  They are also fragile, please refrain from touching delicate parts!  If you would like to see photos of the work, follow the progess of the erosion over the next few months, or for latest news, please visit the site blog… http://lotstribe.typepad.com/lots_tribe/ 

In addition to the many hundreds of hours of volunteer labor put in by a fantastic crew of nearly two dozen students, sculptors, and friends who came regularly for the 6 weeks it took to mold and cast these figures, support for this project was generously provided by 4Culture, by the Gage Academy of Art, and the University of Washington Sculpture and Public Art Department.  Content however, is the sole responsibility of the artist.  He may be contacted at michael@magrathsculpture.com 



You may see news coverage of this event at
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visualart/284602_mourning11.html

and video at
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_091006WABsalt_sculpturesSW.887b2316.html


Please come down to Occidental Square and see them while they last.  They will be up for at least a month, or maybe three.   Depends on the weather.
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/occident.htm


Thanks for all your support.


Michael Magrath
Magrath Sculpture.
http://magrathsculpture.com/.

 

Lots Tribe Pieta Wins ARC 2009 Salon

Just Announced

Lots' Tribe; Pieta has been awarded First Place in the Sculpture Category in the Art Renewal Center’s International 2008/2009 ARC Salon.  Selected work(s) will be featured at http://www.artrenewal.org/, 

The Art Renewal Center is a non-profit educational organization committed to reviving standards of craftsmanship and excellence. Only by gaining a full command of the skills of the past masters can we create the masters of tomorrow. This is a step forward for our culture. Experimentation and creativity can only succeed and prosper when built on a solid foundation of past accomplishments, with the tools which empower artists to realize their visions
http://www.artrenewal.org/,

pink salt

Early last night some person or persons took it upon themselves to paint the salt sculptures in Occidental Park pink  It is the unfortunatle vulnerability of art in a public space

This act of vandalism is not part of the intent of the artist, who finds the alteration incomprehensible.  Its not like it suggests blood or anything.  That would at least been a commentary.  It's a kind of pink or plum color.  Like Christo's island.  Its just stupid looking. 

Unfortunately the outcome is that the sculptures will likely now be removed prematurely, as they cannot be cleaned, and the effect of the paint is to alter the work beyond recognition.

Its been an fascinating process.  Except for this one instance, Seattle has been unbelievably kind and welcoming of these figures.   Even the headless uncle turns out to have been an accident, and not vandalism after all.  Thanks!

and stay tuned for more information on the next casting, and New York City!   

Snow and Ice

What record rains have not achieved, Ice and snow may yet.  Two days of subzero temperatures have frozen interred water, introducing fundamental cracks in substructure.  Decay will likely proceed more quickly now.

Despite this the cores remain absurdly strong.  If not asked to be removed, these sculptures would likely last to spring

Something in the neighborhood of 14" of rain in the past two weeks yet the cores remain strong.  Our long sunny stage previous to this has set the material quite well.  We  look strong through the holiday season, I feel.

Still there is much beauty in the developing erosion.  Up close, new textures are becoming refined and unexpected varieties in density and strength are becoming apparent.   From a purely aesthetic side, its a wonder.   

Pineapple Express Meets Monday Night Football

It was inevitable.  Roving hooligans will always be a nemesis to figure sculpture. 

Vandalism was to be expected.  It is part of the environment, able to do in an instant what the storm of the decade could not in a week.  6" of rain in one day.  The core of the work remains strong, however.  They made it to election day, despite long odds.  I suspect we have a number of months remaining.

Indian summer

After a bit more rain the figures are degrading slowly.  The warm, lovely weather over the weekend made for a great few opportunity to record some of the ongoing erosion.  Still they are holding up remarkably well.  It is apparent that these figures are significantly tougher than earlier reports implied. 

Weeks of Sun

After nearly two weeks of sun, the rains have returned briefly in Seattle.  The figures have survived remarkably intact, minus some appendages, fingers, toes, etc.   People touch, but are gentle.  The leaves pile up.  We wait for the real rain.  Likely at this point, after drying so much in the sun, they will survive through November.  Thanksgiving at least...

Becky's Photos

Becky Fay kept a diary of the casting process and other errata.  she is a fantastic photographer and you should check out her flickr site;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anatomist/sets/72157594270672776/

a week of rain

Fall came early.  It rained for about 5 days last week.   Heidi has taken some excellent photos of the resulting erosion. 
The best part is not knowing day to day what changes will have transpired.  These sculptures are not done, rather they are continuously in flux.  They seem to age decades in a day.  They look now like memorials to some long forgotten conflict, damaged over years by who knows what vandals, yet still uncomfortably resonant today.

most recent rains
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=uq2bx6k.b5grfd6k&x=0&y=-ge6ijw

from Sept 18

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=uq2bx6k.bx12cqrg&x=0&y=ttc9fq

Slog

Jen Graves at the Stranger called the morning of Sept 12 and asked me to address the characterization of this piece by local media.  We spoke at length, and she pretty well transcribed my responses on her blog.  Check the link for full report.  Thank you Jen for the rare opportunity to clarify.

Art That’s Not All About Us

Posted by JEN GRAVES at 01:01 PM

On Q13 Fox News yesterday, an anchor praised the life-sized salt sculptures that Michael Magrath placed in Occidental Square as eloquent commemorations of the “pain of 9/11,” poignant memorials to the devastating losses Americans suffered that terrible day.

What a sickening crock.

Magrath made sculptures (see this week’s Suggests) of suffering Iraqis, not suffering Americans, you Fox News jackasses...

http://www.thestranger.com/blog/2006/09/art_thats_not_all_ab.php

mm