The Illuminated Crowd by tpal
I have to admit that most "public" art leaves me cold, particularly the corporate variety. It often seems the sort of thing that warrants an "oh, isn't that interesting (what ever it was)..." but doesn't necessarily entice you to slow your pace as you pass by. This stunning sculpture, on the other hand, caused me to stop dead in my tracks.Located at 1981 McGill College Avenue in front of the BNP Tower this intricate piece of public art demands study. It is "The Illuminated Crowd" by Raymond Mason. A plaque in front describes the work in the artist's words:
A crowd has gathered, facing a light, an illumination brought about by a fire, an event, an ideology - or an ideal. The strong light casts shadows, and as the light moves toward the back and diminishes, the mood degenerates; rowdiness, disorder and violence occur, showing the fragile nature of man. Illumination, hope, involvement, hilarity, irritation, fear, illness, violence, murder and death - the flow of man's emotion through space.
It was not until I was home and could examine my photograph that I realized that I could identify the emotions on the faces in the crowd.