Friday, February 16, 2007

Disappointing

From pictures: seeing a massive park filled with endless sculptures on pedestals and hidden in woods; from other people: hearing about being "enveloped in the art" and being in the "most amazing setting". I went to the Seattle Art Museum's Sculpture Park with the highest expectations, but only left with disappointment. I'm not saying the art was bad, nor was the park. Maybe I had psyched myself up too much or expected too much. Regardless, the park is too small and the sculptures too few. Every sculpture was already photographed, so that you went there to verify its installation rather than going there to find more. They advertised it too well. When I heard it was being built I was honestly fascinated, filled with wonder and ideas with pictures to preview my anxiously awaiting experience, but only to be let down. And i know there is more that's being opened up eventually, but for right now I was left thinking "was that it?”

1 comment:

CSumption said...

I have to admit to a similar feeling when I first visited, and yet my appreciation for the place has grown and deepened each time I've been there (3 times so far). I wonder if Olympic Sculpture Park is about repeated viewing, or maybe just taking more time to take it in. On a sunny day everything there is different, transformed by the light, the landscape opened up to the Olympic mountains and Mt. Rainier blazing on the south horizon.