River Legend
 The sculpture outside of the Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in 2015 | |
| Artist | Dimitri Hadzi |
|---|---|
| Completion date | May 1976 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Material | Basalt |
| Dimensions | 3.0 m × 0.91 m × 4.0 m (10 ft × 3 ft × 13 ft) |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Owner | General Services Administration |
River Legend is an outdoor 1976 basalt sculpture by Dimitri Hadzi, located outside of the Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in Portland, Oregon.
Description and history
River Legend, designed by Dimitri Hadzi, is a basalt allegorical sculpture located outside the Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in Downtown Portland. It was commissioned for $65,000 in the 1970s by the General Services Administration's Art-in-Architecture Program and completed in September 1976.[1][2] The sculpture measures 10 feet (3.0 m) x 3 feet (0.91 m) x 13 feet (4.0 m).[1] It is made of Columbia Basin basalt and named for tribal crossings of the Columbia River (according to Hadzi, the former land bridge called Bridge of the Gods near Cascade Locks).[2][3] The Oregonian described River Legend as a "street-level, dark-hued arch, made edgy by blond spiky protrusions around one segment".[2]
Despite being publicly financed, the sculpture was initially hidden from general public view since the building's original architect felt the arch competed with the its design. It was installed on the building's plaza and was visible to occupants and visitors, but not from the street.[2] Hadzi constructed a full-size cardboard replica to illustrate to the architect how it would look outside the building; according to Hadzi, the architect eventually realized "it was a mistake not to have [the sculpture] up front".[2] River Legend was relocated to the exterior in 2013 after the Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building underwent a major renovation.[2] According to the Smithsonian Institution, the work remains administered by General Services Administration's Art-in-Architecture Program.[1]
Though not currently on display, the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection includes a maquette of River Legend. The cast bronze maquette measures 11 1/8 x 15 x 7 in. (28.1 x 38.0 x 17.9 cm) and is set on a marble base.[4]
Reception
In his review for The Oregonian, Len Reed said the sculpture "seemed to offer relief, as if it were a jolt of reckless nature amid all the glass and concrete and metal. It seemed at once ancient and modern. It seemed to hold a secret."[2] Furthermore, he said:
River Legend may be decades old, but its energy is all new and very, very public. Whether the pleasure it produces is encoded in cells or the result of some mysterious learning doesn't really matter. The ancient rock soars. That's true even if its nifty fins are wood shims to prevent a crack from expanding. Somehow amid moving, storing, and re-siting, a segment of the columnar basalt let go and requires an injection of epoxy to hold. It wouldn't be crazy to think of the sculpture for now as a songbird with a leg splint. Such a small price for a new life.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "River Legend, (sculpture).". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Reed, Len (May 8, 2013). "'River Legend,' once a downtown secret, gets a new life: Editorial sketchbook". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
- ↑ "River Legend, 1976". cultureNOW. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Maquette for River Legend". Smithsonian Instutution. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
External links
- Public Commissions at DimitriHadzi.com