The Way

"The Way"

Laumeier Sculpture Park has almost become a tradition in St. Louis. No matter which direction one chooses to take, encounters of exceptional work will make people stop and participate in the pieces. Laumeier is international in scope, known for its beautiful scenery and well known featured artists. Every visit creates an entirely new experience - tomorrow or a year later. Every visit means seeing new works, not only because one cannot stop to engross in every one of the 65 of the 96 acres in one visit, or because some are on loan rather than permanent acquisitions thus subject to removal and new ones brought in, but also because a change in light and shadow in this outdoor museum creates a change in the characteristics of each individual work. While learning about Laumeier it is easy to see why it's called "an idyllic place where modern art really works with nature." There is truly a sense of discovery, besides finding beautiful trees and wildflower in the woods, you find art.

People of all kinds Ð'- artists and average individuals - consider Laumeier one of the world's premier park for site sculpture. In this 96 acre St. Louis County park and outdoor museum, there are numerous sculptures along hiking trails in peaceful woodlands. Sculptures can also be found in expansive, sun-drenched meadows. All these works are for the public's free enjoyment. Smaller works in other mediaÐ'--such as ceramics, painting and photographyÐ'--also are on display in the Laumeier museum galleries. Although the sculptures seem to get most of the attention, probably because they are the largest and most attention grabbing the galleries are chalked full of equally as interesting pieces of art.

One of the things Laurmeier Park does well is encourage participation while people view any sculpture in the park. With small touchable replicas of several pieces, the park attracts viewers and admirers of all ages. While I was wondering the park, I even saw a family playing hide and seek amongst the many curving and large structures. As our textbook authors describe, the sensas that work best while studying sculpture are

both visually and textually. These small scale replicas encourage viewers to touch and feel what the materials use feel like and how the materials add to the overall design of

the sculpture.

''The Way,'' an enormous red sculpture by Alexander Liberman constructed in 1980, demands every viewer's attention. This was Laumeier's first sculpture of enormous proportions. If someone enters the west gate, the sight of Liberman's sculpture is not easily missed. "The Way" stands 65 feet tall, 102 feet wide, and weighs 50 tons. It consists of 18 salvaged steel oil tanks welded together and painted red. Its massive drums are so angled in relation to each other that the best view is standing back and seeking how to approach them. Due to Liberman's prominence, it has become symbolic of the outdoor museum. This signature piece "The Way" by Alexander Liberman, which simultaneously evokes Stonehenge and a children's construction set. Sculptor Alexander Liberman took six years to construct it from oil drums and welded end to end. He says his piece resembles a classical ruin but looks like a giant lincoln log puzzle to me.

"The Way" is a fantasy of standing pillars and fallen columns. The simultaneous allusions to the remains of an antique post-and-lintel doorway to the Gateway Arch endow this authoritative image with rich metamorphic substances. It is a reincarnation of commonplace steel drums into an high-spirited gala of its own survival at a location that seemed to have been awaiting it. It is as if Liberman began to understand himself, and the type f work he enjoyed most developing. His use of industrial materials within his sculptures, brings out the beauty in the things most often considered ugly.

Liberman likes to think of his work as having the impact of temples or cathedrals, truly believing that size reminds people of great architecture. One interesting part about Liberman's sculpture is its placement within the park. Although large enough to be recognized as a Laumier Sculpture, the placement really is a fairly secluded area. This is extremely important because of the title of the actual piece. Due to the seclusion of the area, the viewer is left to find their own way around the sculpture and to the art piece as well. The piece is very large, which makes a viewer look to the sky for its full effect, especially when up close.

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