brancusi moment

This corner at LACMA made me stop in my tracks. I don’t know what it is about Brancusi’s Bird in Flight but it’s as though the sculpture commands you to gaze in wonderment. Although the artist is recognized for being a pioneer in abstract art, I see a representational form. I see movement. Maybe it’s because I know the name of the piece? Had I not known, would I see this 73-inch-tall polished bronze sculpture as a bird soaring into the sky? I guess the next question is – Does it even matter? This sculpture is always a soothing and gentle reminder that challenges can be handled with grace. It embodies hope and triumph. The pedestal is also reminder that in order to overcome obstacles you must have a foundation (whatever that means to you – family, education, spirituality). In a span of about five minutes this all came to mind with one simple glance. That’s the beauty of abstraction, your mind fills in the rest.

(Bird In Flight, LACMA)