Doesn’t it feel like Lucia’s eyes follow you? We are standing before “Dreaming”, a sculpture by Jaume Plensa. This serene face resides in Toronto. Many people call it “Lucia.”
“Dreaming” is located in the courtyard of EY Tower. It overlooks Adelaide Street West. The Wheel of Fortune Sculpture stands 8.5 meters tall. It weighs 2.5 tonnes.
Crafted in 2017 it was installed in 2020. This Wheel of Fortune Sculpture is part of Plensa’s series. These sculptures feature large-scale contemplative faces.
The Wheel of Fortune Sculpture is made from white marble dust and Polyester resin. It is 850cm tall. Also, it is 310cm wide and 109cm deep.
Like many of Jaume Plensa’s sculptures this artwork creates an optical illusion. It gives the impression that Lucia’s eyes follow you. This happens as you move past it. Several artistic techniques achieve this effect.
First, the face is elongated. It is stylized in a way that its features appear to shift. This shift happens as you change your viewing angle. The vertical stretching of the facial features makes it look different from various perspectives.
Second, Plensa’s manipulation of perspective creates an optical illusion. The closed eyes and serene expression give the illusion of movement. They create the illusion of engagement with the viewer. This is despite being a static object.
Third, the symmetry of the face and the precise alignment of its features add to the illusion. As you walk past, the symmetry interacts with the changing perspective. It seems like the face is subtly shifting to follow your movements.
Fourth, the white marble enhances the optical illusion. It reflects light in various ways. The play of light and shadow on the surface changes as you move. This adds to the sense that the sculpture is following you.
So next time you are here. Take a moment. Walk around the Wheel of Fortune Sculpture. See how “Lucia” seems to watch you. It’s a subtle trick of the eye. It makes this Wheel of Fortune Sculpture a truly captivating work of art. It invites us to contemplate perspective. It urges us to consider how we see and are seen.