Enjoying the Norton Museum's Sculpture Garden

"Breaking Away" by Joseph McDonnell (1986)(painted steel)

Timing is everything. A few years back, I tried to visit the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. Sadly, I was turned away at the door because the Museum was undergoing a major renovation and expansion. But if at first you don't succeed... The Norton has now reopened its doors and is beautiful. And I'm pleased to report the expansion included the conversion of what was a parking lot into a sculpture garden. So. Much. Fun. 

The "museum in a garden" is home to 17 sculptures. Each one is set back from the walkway to create the sense of entering a room when you approach a work. "Breaking Away" by Joseph McDonnell was one of our first stops. McDonnell works in a variety of mediums and styles, including bronze, granite, steel and glass. This geometric sculpture is part of a series inspired by a broken picture frame with various forms sticking through the shattered object. You never know when that lightbulb will go off. To see the rest of the series, click here. And to explore more of McDonnell's work, click here. I particularly like his glass ice cube sculptures. 

Stephenie with Rondinone's sculptures (painted aluminum) 

Stephenie and I broke into broad smiles when we saw Ugo Rondinone's "Moonrise. east. november" and "Moonrise. east. july." It would have been rude not to since the works are so welcoming! The sculptures are from a series of 12 works, one for each month of the year. In the series, Rondinone references the cycles of the moon, with the various expressions on the "faces" reflecting the moon as it waxes and wanes. While the two sculptures at the Norton seem to be smiling, others appear to be grimacing or surprised. That's how it goes over the course of a year. To see images of the entire "Moonrise" series, click here and scroll. (Oddly, I couldn't find them all in one place.) For more about Rondinone and his extremely varied oeuvre, click here. 

"Total Strangers IV, V and VI" by Antony Gormley (1997)

Sir Antony Gormley's "Total Strangers IV, V and VI" called to mind the disconnect between people in today's world. The complete series is comprised of six sculptures, each of which was made from a mold of the artist's own body. 

The sculptures have been displayed both individually and together. In one iteration -- curated by Gormley himself -- a lone "man" stood outside a gallery window looking in. Four other figures were placed where they could be seen when the museumgoer looked out the window (if, that is, she hadn't run out of the room after encountering a strange person peering in). One figure was at a bus stop. A third was lying on its back next to a lamp post. The final two were on the opposite side of the street in the middle of the sidewalk. I would have loved to experience that work. To see it in situ, click here and scroll through the pictures.  

"Total Strangers" is not Gormley's only series featuring bodies. As Nicholas Stephens of The Guardian noted in one review, "The human body has been Gormley's calling card and a siren call to his creativity." Yes, indeed. I am particularly amazed and intrigued by images from Gormley's solo survey show at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2019. Click here to see his "Lost Horizons I." And for more about that show, click here. I've quickly become a huge fan. 

One last note on Gormley. You may have noticed the "Sir" in front of Gormley's name in my lead-in. The Turner Prize winning artist received his Knighthood for service to the Arts in 2014. Click here to see "Angel of the North," the work for which he won the Turner in 1994 and which, presumably, was a factor in his receive of the honor. 

"Foot" by Tom Otterness (1988)

I'll leave you with an artist whose work always makes me smile -- Tom Otterness. His aptly named "Foot" cried out for me to sit on it. (Does "sitting" constitute "touching?" I only saw the sign after I nearly scalded myself while perching on the bronze work.)  

Otterness is best known for creating public art. I first saw his work on a visit to Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester where you can find two oversized and 17 Lilliputian-sized bronze figures. While his work is whimsical, it often has political meaning as well. His figures frequently reference class, money and race. Take, for instance, "Life Underground," an installation that can be found at the NYC subway station at 8th Avenue and 14th Street. If you take more than a passing look at his figures, you'll see a policeman rousting a sleeping homeless person. Another policeman guards a big bag of money. And a businessman has so many coins that he can't carry them all. I suspect the fact that the coins are oversized is another indication of his great wealth. (Click here and here to see these images.) And to check out Otterness' website, click here. 

Our three day South Florida art adventure was off to a great start. Next up: Art inside the Norton Museum of Art.