A million-dollar stone sculpture, intended to remind future generations of the Earth’s fragility, made its point a bit early _ just three months after its unveiling, it collapsed.
The 175-ton “Spaceship Earth” lay in ruins at Kennesaw State University after mysteriously falling to pieces last week.
The engraved phrase “our fragile craft” was still visible amid the debris.
“Kind of ironic,” said Mary-Elizabeth Watson, a university employee. “I had no idea it was made up of so many pieces.”
[…]
“How can stone collapse by itself?” [Finnish-born sculptor who goes by one name] Eino asked. “I’m devastated.”
Even more ironic – the notion that we should heed symbolic messages from people who are paid a million bucks to stick rocks together… and fail.
(h/t Maz2 in the comments.)
… intended to remind future generations of the Earth’s fragility …
Anyone who’s ever weeded a garden, re-shingled a roof, had to re-pave a drive, tried to get rid of crawling pests, etc knows that Mother Nature can take anything Man throws at her and spit it out with ease. The Earth is anything but fragile.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin has released footage from the first test launch of their real spaceship, Goddard, here: public.blueorigin.com/index.html — and the Edge Foundation has released the 160 responses to their 2007 World Question, “What are you Optimistic About?” here: http://www.edge.org/q2007/q07_index.html
Obviously, Eino is neither optimistic, nor competent.
just a demo of plate techtonics.
one word: Rebar
Humanity has been building stone monuments for thousands of years, Stonehenge, the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, Mayan Temples and the Colosseum. All magnificent, iconic structures that have stoically past the test of time. Reminders left to show the glory and achievement of civilizations and artisans long dead, provide examples to future generations to build on and be proud of.
Obviously the bean-counters have invaded every aspect of our existence when art fails due to falling behind the projected cost curve.
Jan,
It goes deeper than that. Previous generations, artists included, were focused on “creation” but with the dominance of Postmodernism, the focus is “destruction” so the suppoed “work of art” here fits the bill perfectly.
You might ask yourself why do 99% of children coming out of public education believe that can perfectly criticize and deconstruct anything, but ask them how to write a sonett or compose a fugue or even build a birdhouse and they are flummoxed.
Woo Hoo . . ripped the fools off for a cool $million.
Fools & their money are soon parted
“…”Spaceship Earth” a 17.5-ton sculpture that champions environmental protection.”
Nice. Non-renewable resources wasted on something no one can ever use. Way to champion enviromental protection.
Pity that it didn’t fall on some poor homeless person sleeping under it(but not hurt too bad). The lawsuit would put the poor chap on easy street.
Speaking of fools, I have decided to rename my dog to Dion and rename the cat to Liberal. The dog just stands around all day barking like an idiot seeking attention and waiting to be fed. The cat just lays around all day, waiting on the kindness of others to feed it and then after being fed treats everyone with disdain and acts like it is the king of the household. I was going to change the birds name to May but Dion and Liberal would probably just play with him for awhile and then eat him.
That pile of junk is not Art; this is Art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd_oIFy1mxM
Along with the environmental theme of the sculpture, “Spaceship Earth” will also contain a time capsule. Sealed for 1,000 years, the time capsule will contain articles, essays, and answers to the question, “What can we do to save Planet Earth?”
My kids did dumb Earth Day activites like this in early elementary school. A million bucks, a college campus and still third grade. Pathetic.
I’m sure Kennesaw has an art dept. And I’m sure that there’s some inspired punk who’d’ve been willing to have come up with something at least as good for a 1/4 the price.. Either that or they should have spent some of that money hiring some folks from GA Tech (just a couple of miles from Kennesaw down I-75) to make sure the dumb thing was sound. (dumb-sound.. get it?)
Artists of large installations should ALWAYS be (or employ) a structural engineer.
Reason: kinda obvious now.
…”worked with an engineer”…
Clearly an engineer who didn’t understand the dynamics of water, stone and epoxy. Water is insidious, it will get in -anywhere-. There is no bonding material that can’t be defeated by water eventually. As Trevor says, that’s the reason we have rebar.
Either that or Sculptor Boy ignored the poor engineer when he kept screaming “IT WILL FALL DOWN!”
Artsies. Shouldn’t be allowed to work with anything that needs a crane to lift it. ~:D
BTW, anybody got a picture of the thing after it colapsed? I wanna see the wreckage.
I notice they shut off the webcam. Bwaha!
//spaceshipearth.kennesaw.edu:8000/++viewlive?cameraNum=1&viewMethod=0&imageSize=0&submit=Go&javaOK=1&46187
From the Kennesaw link:
“A SCULPTURE by world-renown sculptor, Eino”
Apparently they don’t write any better than they build…
“Even more ironic – the notion that we should heed symbolic messages from people who are paid a million bucks to stick rocks together… and fail.”
Indeed.
As the great philosopher Bugs Bunny said, “What a Maroon!”
I suppose that the eco-freaks will use this to force this fragle earth poppycock nonsnense on us whata load of horse hocky
Speaking of Art. Today’s Lethbridge Herald has an article about a local Leth artist, who is stepping out of her comfort zone. She is starting her second HBP (human body project) She is a 45 year old college teacher, mother of one, and 9 months pregnant. For 20.00, or what you can afford, you can see her standing naked at the Bowman Art Center in Leth. At her first HBP in March, ( there was a female police officer, because of an obsenity complaint. The artist was surprised people thought it obscene). She plans to take her show to Calgary. I wonder if she got any money from some sow group for this.
The builder should have had a look see how Stone Hedge was built; or the Hoover Dam or something. I wonder was this guy that done the Quebec structures in 1967 Olympics,mind you they lasted a little longer.
Hey Mary T. If the lady can earn money standing around in the nude (like maybe an artist’s model?) then all the more power to her. If, on the other hand, this is one of those famous or rather infamous government grants then by all means open the windows to the Art Centre and let her freeze. Some art is crap and some crap is art but whatever it is let it fly (or crash) on it’s own merit and not taxpayer’s monies.
Mary T:
There is web site for that crap believe it or not: humanbodyproject.com
I think if she were a truly brave artist, she would schedule an exhibit in Tehran and Riyahd.
…a million bucks for that slab?
Egad, I must be in the wrong business. Kate you should offer to make these guys a better sculpture for say $500,000.
No wait, make it $2 million…sounds more impressive and let us know who gets the kickbacks…
…you know, I still catch myself asking,
“People actually pay for this stuff?”
Spaceship Watch!
Bezos’s range is 84 metres. Wowser.
What was Eino’s range?
One small misstep for Eino; one step closer for Bezos.
…-
A step closer to the solar system
Times Online – 55 minutes ago
Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of amazon.com, unveiled the prototype of his much-anticipated spaceship yesterday – although with a range of 85 metres it could be some time before the project launches properly.
….must have been those nasty little stone mites.
They get hungry around this time of the year.
🙂
He may be Eino, but he don’t know.
As in ‘with a Yugo, you don’t go.”
single name artist syndrome
…hey speaking of the earth, did you know scientists/engineers/earthwatchers figure the 3 Gorges Dam in China will slow the world down by 1 millionth or something of a second when the water starts piling up behind the dam?
There now I can go to sleep…seeing there is no new readers tips
😉
Shades of Clarity at 2:18,Great,now how hard would you laugh if Dion was in emergency because his Kyoto bit him on the ass?
Next thought,Does this Eino fellow get paid more to do it right this time or does he have to pay back his fee for creating trash? Or is this “performance art” that signifies the impending collapse of society and he will be bestowed great honours by latte sippers,lesbians,and gentlemen who play “CELLMATE” at home?
Mississauga Matt:Anyone who’s ever weeded a garden, re-shingled a roof, had to re-pave a drive, tried to get rid of crawling pests, etc knows that Mother Nature can take anything Man throws at her and spit it out with ease. The Earth is anything but fragile.
So endeth the debate. Listen all ye Gore wannabe’s; Matt has re-shingled a roof and bought cans upon cans of raid. And Lo! The earth still spins, an goes on as it ever has! So shut thy flappin traps about greenhouse gas and the dangers of lead in thine drinking water.
Misunderestimated…..take heart…you have not been….at least in your mind.
Now… if the artist had taken the time to WORK with a stone mason or a eskimo….ooooops Inuit…he might have learned the subleties of arches.
But then again real artists are kinda fragile….right?
Syncro
I just noticed the logo on the side of the picker truck.
It somehow seems appropriate….a rent-a-truck for a rent-a-artist.
Syncro
Har
Har
Har-dee
Har
Har…
(hattip: Jackie Gleason… goodnight, old friend, wherever you are… )
Syncro: “I just noticed the logo on the side of the picker truck. It somehow seems appropriate…”
What,,,it ‘Hertz’ to know we spent $1 million dollars on a useless concrete slab…
😉
…gives new meaning to “thick slab”…
…do we have any ‘concrete’ evidence this was done by poor workmanship?
…
Ok, Ok, I’ll shut up now…
What kind of utter moron uses glue to hold stone together? Duuuuude, there’s this stuff called “mortar”…
… and next time, hire someone who has actually *worked* for a living to build the damn thing. They’re in the yellow pages under “construction”.
What ever became of the wacko CRISTO who was always wanting to wrap things in plastic all the time like those islands in the florida everglades or his running fence in southern california we dont hear from that wacko anymore