Crazy Spheroid- Two Entrances
By Julia Kelley
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, recently acquired a piece by artist Dan Graham, Crazy Spheroid- Two Entrances. This addition to the sculpture park is the fourth in a series of recent acquisitions, and it was chosen because its unique hybrid of styles, lending a modern architectural element to the park.
Andy Ryan
Crazy Spheroid – Two Entrances is a half-ellipse made of mirrored glass, with its interior divided into two unequal parts, each accessible through cutout doorways. The reflective glass makes the piece seem composed entirely of its surroundings—the trees, the sky, the people viewing the work—aside from its sparse steel supports. Viewers are encouraged to enter the sculpture and experiment with their distorted reflections.
“There’s something in it for everyone,” according to Graham. For example, a young boy may look in the glass and see himself as Superman, and overweight people can see a slimmer version of themselves.
Andy Ryan
Though Graham originally designed the piece for the New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, he is pleased with its new home in deCordova. “Every detail, I chose,” Graham said about the site specifics of the work, nestled between towering evergreens near the entrance of the sculpture park. He had the piece placed so the curved glass faced the road between the front gate and the parking lot, enabling viewers to interact with it from inside their cars. As Graham said, “Of course we live in a car culture, don’t we?” The reflection transforms a passing vehicle from a compact clown car to a stretch limousine, then back again, as it drives along.
Andy Ryan
Graham designs his pieces for interaction, and says he especially likes the reactions from children when they see his work. He says his pieces are a combination of education and entertainment, while adults are sometimes too uptight. Graham’s favorite combinations of audiences are older people and their grandchildren. The children can play inside the structure, while the grandparents can lie on the grass outside and watch them, allowing for simultaneous interior and exterior interaction.