Spillover II facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spillover II |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Artist | Jaume Plensa |
| Year | 2010 |
| Type | Welded openwork steel sculpture |
| Dimensions | 260 cm (102 in) |
| Location | Shorewood, Wisconsin, US |
| 43°05′21.90″N 87°52′25.73″W / 43.0894167°N 87.8738139°W | |
| Owner | Village of Shorewood |
Spillover II is a public artwork by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa. You can find it in Atwater Park in Shorewood, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, United States. The sculpture looks like a man who is 8.5-foot (2.6 m) tall and is crouching down. It is made from steel letters. The artwork stands on a 2-foot (0.61 m) concrete base. It was officially shown to the public on September 21, 2010.
Contents
What is Spillover II?
Spillover II is made from steel letters that are joined together by welding. The artist, Jaume Plensa, said that the letters show how language helps us understand the world. He believes language is our main way to experience things and connect with others. The sculpture is placed on a concrete base. It is at the corner of Capitol Drive and Lake Drive. The figure looks out over Lake Michigan. At night, lights inside the sculpture make it glow. This glow acts like a bright signal in Atwater Park.
How Spillover II Came to Be
Spillover II was the first artwork bought for Shorewood Village's public art plan. This plan started in 2001. The Shorewood Public Art Committee helped choose Plensa's work. This committee is part of the Community Development Authority. Russell Bowman, who used to lead the Milwaukee Art Museum, helped them choose. Plensa is also famous for his Crown Fountain in Chicago's Millennium Park.
The committee looked at almost 100 other artworks. They picked Spillover II because it fit the location best. Shorewood Village president Guy Johnson called it a "wonderful gift." He said it helps make life better for people in Shorewood.
Jaume Plensa came to the sculpture's dedication in September 2010. He thanked Shorewood for giving one of his "children" a nice home. He was happy his art was near Lake Michigan. He felt it could "talk" to its surroundings. Debra Brehmer wrote in the Wisconsin Gazette that Plensa's art shows influences from northern Spain. She compared his playful style to other Spanish artists like Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Antoni Gaudí, and Joan Miró.
The artwork explores how art and nature are linked. It also uses letters, which are the basic parts of poetry. Some people think the sculpture, which looks both see-through and solid, suggests that "we are hollow men." Visitors to the park often interact with the sculpture. They seem to feel a connection to its human shape. They also enjoy how the shape changes as they walk around it.
How the Sculpture Was Bought
An unknown person gave $350,000 to help buy Spillover II. Other groups also helped pay for it. These included the Shorewood Foundation and the Shorewood Men's Club. The Village of Shorewood Marketing Program and the Village of Shorewood also gave money.
A Temporary Change to the Sculpture
On November 14, 2015, the statue was taken out of Atwater Park for a short time. This happened after someone said that some of the steel letters seemed to spell out hurtful phrases.
Plensa told the people of Shorewood that he wanted to change the letters. This would stop any future misunderstandings of his artwork. His team changed the sculpture at the Richard Gray Art Gallery. They replaced one letter "E" with a letter "B". The sculpture was then brought back to Atwater Park on Saturday, January 16, 2016.
