Razorblades

Usually, this space is full of information regarding what to do and where to go in Maine.  Alas, the entry today is about what you missed.  Two weeks ago while on a visit to Washington DC,  I was reading the New York Times of 2 October 2011 in my dad’s kitchen – and came across a story about a decommission of an art work.  In 2006, the city of Portland purchased a piece of sculpture called “Tracing the Fore”; it consisted of a series of wavy-edged stainless steel panels and was installed in Boothby Square near the harbor. Grass planted between the panels was to grow billowy, creating a wave-like effect in the wind. Well, apparently the grass did not cooperate; rather than evoking a nautical visage, the grass and steel panels looked like one big mess, at least to some.

Local Portland residents referred to the sculpture as Razorblades.  This derisive nomenclature called to mind the Victor Emmanuel Monument in Rome – Italians have longed referred to this gigantic structure as the Wedding Cake.  And in my hometown of Washington, we call the Kennedy Center the giant Kleenex box.  Romans and Washingtonians poke fun at their singular monuments but over time have grown accustomed to them and even fond of them.

One hundred and fifty Portland resident signatures on a petition convinced the city to deinstall Razorblades.  Alas, this unusual sculpture did not have the time to bond with its locality.  The art work was purchased for $100 by a local collector who also paid $9k for removal.  The story may not be over!

later,
Diana
The White House Inn

The Gigantic Kleenex Box

The Wedding Cake