1994; Cor-ten steel, stone, pavers; each seating tableau: 5’H x 26’W x 15’D; Ames City Hall; Ames, Iowa
Facing each other on opposite sides of the main entry to the Ames City Hall, two seating tableaus use text and sculptural forms to suggest the idea of political discourse. The trumpet form evokes the idea of a “mouthpiece.” Each bench, intended for usage, evolves into an open “book” on one end, with a “page” containing a portion of a quote from former Iowan Herbert Hoover. “words without actions” “are the assassins of idealism”, symbolically bring the two “sides” together for a complete reading of the text.
© Janet Lofquist