WP3: Rough Draft 1

Dear Story,

I was first drawn to you from afar by your extraneous leg protruding into the green abyss of grass. Even though this extremity seemed phallic, I knew it was a characteristic of the opposite sex. Your father Billy was very fond of his mother and was impacted greatly by the numerous wives he encountered throughout life. Portraying women as powerful, he aimed to accentuate their most magnificent features. We all know women can use their legs to grab cabs, right Story? Other than that leg though, you’re very hermaphroditic. This shows that your father wanted to conglomerate all the styles of his work into one entity- You!

That cigarette you’re holding isn’t just for a quick high. It categorizes you as a figure of society. Your father loved to emulate everyday gestures and then alter the proportions of the body parts to portray an argument. Poking fun at the elite and political icons was a unique pastime of your old man. Using the familiar gestures helped create a familiarity between the viewers and the sculptures. It also juxtaposes human warmth and the artificiality of people in social situations. When I first met you I felt a connection due to your human like outline, yet right from the start I knew you weren’t normal. An extremely skinny leg with an elongated foot was a dead give away. You really inspired me Story to question what is “normal” in modern society. With the media having more impact then ever, it is almost essential to have symmetrical arms and legs that are exactly the same size. Also women must have a voluptuous figure and men a muscular tone to appear “normal”. With so much pressure on a attaining a specific image maintaining individuality is washed down the drain. You’ve shown me that being myself is important and my actions influence the story of my life.


Do you mind if I borrow your leg and right arm for a bit Story? I’m just joking we both know you’d only be a thin, 2-dimensional slate of aluminum if I did that. You are a conglomeration of otherwise meaningless pieces, classic King style. That puzzle-like ethos of yours reminds me of when your father worked in the airfields patching together wrecked planes. As we all know, puzzles need clearly defined pieces and your body parts all have defining and rounded outlines. Although this may not be realistic, it sure is eye-catching!

I remember the first day I met you it was bright, sunny day. That aluminum coat of yours shined brightly and really caught my eye. From a distance it looked like a uniform covering, yet with different degrees of light intensity I could spot some of your flaws. Indifferences in hue show that you are not as clear cut as you appear to be. That’s part of your plan though and necessary for survival in these adverse conditions. Even though you are on the thin side, you’re durability is impressive. You’ve withstood many frigid Nebraska winters and harsh summers. It’s interesting that you are durable, yet evoke an ethos of fragility.

Remember that one session we had together where your right arm was swinging slightly in the wind? I was astounded at how that juxtaposed with the foundation of your foot. You are full of contrasting elements such as these which are congruent with your father’s life. Stuck in the moment, you exhibit a conflict of desires. The long extension of your leg shows that you yearn for the freedom of discovery, yet your right arm is bent closely to your body evoking a sense of leisure and relaxedness. This never-ending struggle symbolizes how your father was always torn between doing the tried and tested method or venturing into unknown territory. It is similar to your brother “Self” who also represents a massive change in your father’s style. As you know, “Self” denotes a switch to the long-legged figures and disproportionate brothers you are so familiar with.

Now Story I know you can’t keep your head on a swivel, but have you noticed how isolated you are? The Lied Performing Arts Center and the Kimball Recital Hall box you in on two sides and an array of benches lay to your left. The closest piece of art to you is Torso which is behind you, so you can’t really communicate. That’s why you must wet your social appetite by observing the daily lives of others. Remember when we were having a pleasant conversation when all of a sudden two busloads of fourth graders rolled up for field trip? They thought I was strange for lying next to a giant sculpture, but I was more worried about you. I mean, smoking a giant cigarette near children, really Story? What kind of message are we sending to kids? Hopefully those kids were entranced with your massive leg and bypassed the stick of sunshine in your right hand. Nevertheless, you are exposed to hundreds of diverse people every day. How do you deal with all the attention? Part of you wants the attention and maybe even to venture into the street and mingle with these people, while the other part wants to stay in place and watch life drift by.

Story, I have been blessed to have met you. You are special; I know this because your uncle donated you in honor of the former director of this museum. That is quite a prestigious accomplishment! You have shown me that being an individual leads to a more vivid and exciting life story. Through knowing you, I have discovered some the internal conflicts that I deal with on a daily basis. Do I continue to get the number 7 combo at Taco Bell or should I branch out and purchase a $5 Box that supposedly rocks? The magnitude of your leg suggests that I should take a leap of faith and divert from the mundane. I always try to challenge myself, but sometimes I become complacent. Thanks for keeping me on track Story. Genius will be imitated, and I will imitate you both physically and mentally.


Your beloved friend,

John

WP3: Statement of Purpose

Assessing a sculpture, especially one as complex as “Story” can seem like a daunting task. The three main concepts to consider when forming a purpose are medium, context, and audience. All of these play a vital role in supporting an argument that the viewer can assess.

Out of all types of art, sculptures have the most freedom and flexibility when comes to choice of medium. A single substance may be used or a conglomeration of materials can be forged together to create an image. In the case of “Story” a single substance, aluminum, is uniformly distributed throughout the sculpture. This is a common element in today’s society and can be seen fairly clearly in all degrees of brightness. On a sunny day aluminum can brighten the area around it by reflecting sun rays or cast lengthy shadows on both itself and the ensuing ground. Being both light and thin, aluminum portrays a fragile ethos that is easily swayed with the slightest gust of wind. This increases its ability to be manipulated and contributes to King’s affinity with disproportionate body parts. One important factor to consider is that the sculpture is man-made evidenced by the bolts connecting both the base and foot to a concrete block. The modern materials juxtapose greatly with the surrounding green grass.

After analyzing the medium of the sculpture, one must analyze the medium of the writing project. I will be writing a letter to my sculpture which implies a certain sense of familiarity between the two of us. It will be a challenge to both inquire about the recent activity of my friend and analyze its rhetorical strategies. Use of flashbacks and references to his father (William King) will be in order to smoothly concatenate both concepts.

Context plays a major role in this sculpture’s argument, most notably in its outside presence. It is vulnerable to the elements and therefore must exhibit a certain degree of sustainability. Even though “Story” is made out of thin aluminum, it still holds up even during the winter months. The straight cut sets of the sculpture enable rain drops to just roll off the surface without any lasting impact. Along with the aesthetical context, there is the historical context to consider. William King was very partial to long-legged figures and was extremely fond of his mother. He also liked to portray figures in an everyday gesture, which in this sculpture is embodied by the cigarette. Knowing the background of the artist can significantly help with uncovering the argument.

Finally, I will need to consider my audience when conjuring up this letter. My primary audiences are “Story” since I am addressing the letter to it and Mr. Ware because he will be evaluating my letter. There are numerous secondary audiences such as my peers, people strolling by during my reading, and anyone with internet access. Letters are personal pieces of writing and usually contain subtleties that only the two correspondents are familiar with. I must walk a fine line between creating a personal relationship between “Story” and me and making it accessible to an average person with limited art experience.

By considering the medium of my piece and letter, context of my sculpture, and multiple audiences I can develop a statement of purpose. My goal is to show that “Story” is a stereotypical King piece that embodies his prominent methods post-“Self”. It can be viewed through multiple lenses including historical and contextual. The wacky proportions of “Story” embody King’s strange journey through life and how he sees the world.