The River District's newest public artwork arrived by flat bed at its new home in Centennial Park today, and sculptor David Black was on hand throughout the day to supervise its installation. The Dupont red piece is called Fire Dance, and it represents Black's interpretation of the park's energy and vitality during public events.
"My wife and I were in the park for a jazz festival," Black explained as he kept a wary eye on his crew, as they carefully off-loaded the sculpture, which came from his fabricator in upstate Ohio in pieces to facilitate the trip. With long sweeping curves, gyrating spirals and a sharp, stabbing counterbalance, Fire Dance is definitely informed by the complex, propulsive polyrhythms characteristic of jazz. But the beauty of the piece is that it is open to interpretation and the sculptor delights in having viewers ascribe their own meaning to his sculptural intent.
When completed tomorrow, the sculpture will stand 25 feet tall and be almost as wide. It will also feature a sweeping, curved bench positioned on one side. "But won't that require people to bend their heads awkwardly to look up at the sculpture as they're sitting on the bench?" one city planner probed. "I hope so," Black shot right back. "I want them to enjoy the piece from every angle.”
More to the point, Black wants people to interact with his sculpture. Sit on the bench and look up at it while you eat your lunch. Walk around or underneath it and study how the sun casts shadows on the freshly-poured concrete base. Observe how the sculpture contrasts with the southbound span of the Caloosahatchee Bridge from the swings on the south end of the mall, or peer down on the whirling red dynamo from the terraces at High Point Place. Engage the piece from every angle, vantage and perspective. That's what Black demands.
I like the idea of letting people walk around the sculpture and see it from underneath,” Black emphasizes. To give impetus to the experiential aspect of the work, it will be encircled by a sidewalk and framed by even more park benches so that visitors to Centennial Park can freely commune with the sculpture no matter what brings them to the park.
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