Gazing at the Red Portal Sculpture you might wonder about its story. This vibrant sculpture isn’t just a collection of I-beams. It is a testament to art’s ability to evoke emotion.
The giant red sculpture just ahead speaks volumes. A visitor once described it as forthright masculine and audacious. Yet they also found a V-shaped piece dangling by a cable oddly touching. It moved with the wind. It changed constantly.
The Red Portal Sculpture can look like an enormous drawing. Light transforms the sculpture. Feelings well up within observers. A sense of communion and awe can unexpectedly arise. Spending time with the piece might leave you reluctant to leave. You might seek it out again like an old friend.
The ten-ton red sculpture “Are Years What? (For Marianne Moore)” was created by Mark di Suvero in 1967. The title comes from Marianne Moore’s poem “What Are Years?” This poem seems remarkably apt for our times.
This Sunday explore this magnificent monumental abstraction. This painted sheet metal sculpture is one of large-scale outdoor stabiles. This artwork is permanently on display at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. What a privilege it is to visit. To be surrounded by so many world-class museums. They exhibit a cornucopia of ancient modern and ethnic art free of charge.
Take a moment. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Let the art pick you. Don’t read the identifying plaque. You don’t need to know who made it. Let it speak to you on its own. Spend at least three minutes with the work. See what it might give you.
At first you see only the enormous red-orange I-beams. They are arranged at various angles. As you gaze words begin to float up in your mind. You might find the experience satisfying.
The Red Portal Sculpture is more than metal and angles. It is an invitation to see slowly. To feel deeply. It is a reminder that art can connect us to ourselves. It can connect us to the world around us.