Brian McCutcheon
Monument, 2015 at Monument Circle
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
A public library is the most enduring of memorials, the trustiest monument for the preservation of an event or a name or an affection; for it, and it only, is respected by wars and revolutions, and survives them.
–Mark Twain
Monument, 2015, makes formal reference to civic monument archetypes, with the twist of being modernized by color, material, and separation from a building. The lending library supports an 1894 Mark Twain quote that was written during the same time period as the construction of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. The quote suggests that books and libraries offer a more durable monument to society and culture than does the stone edifice, and this implication strongly correlates to the free exchange of literature and ideas made possible by the Public Collection project.
I chose this site for two reasons: The area in front of Anthem is the least trafficked area on Monument Circle, so this project helps to bring foot traffic to it. Additionally, the view of the project from the top of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument connects the project visually to the Capitol building in the background; it is my optimistic belief that our democracy supports and encourages equality in the access and distribution of ideas, and the Public Collection installation fosters that access.
Monument, 2015
Steel, aluminum, polycarbonate, fiberglass composite, paint
12 x 12 x 80 feet
About the Artist
An Indianapolis-based conceptual artist, Brian McCutcheon uses video, photography, and sculpture to explore the relationships between play and masculinity. He has been the recipient of a number of artist grants, awards, and residencies, most recently a 2010-11 Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant and a summer 2009 residency at Sculpture Space in Utica, New York. Over the past decade, his work has been featured in a wide range of exhibitions on a national and international scale. McCutcheon is a co-founder and partner of Indianapolis Fabrications (iFab), a custom fabrication studio.
INSTALLATION DATE:
August 2015 - September 2019
INSTALLATION LOCATION:
Monument Circle
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Contact Us
The Public Collection is a public art and literacy project developed by Rachel M. Simon, with support from the Herbert Simon Family Foundation. Books for TPC are supplied and stocked by the Indianapolis Public Library.