Artscape Spotlight this Week: "A Story of Solitude"

Artscape is a public outdoor art exhibition that spans the entire downtown Pittsfield area. The exhibition has been ongoing for a number of years, with exciting new additions in each new year. Artscape includes sculptures, banners, and street signs that energize and add whimsy and beauty to our city.

Notable this week: "A Story of Solitude" by Lydia Musco

Standing on North Street between the St. Joseph's Church and the Greystone building is a tall lonesome structure. At seven foot three, such an object would be hard to miss, but it is odd knowing that so many people walk right by it without giving it much thought. Rightly named "A Story of Solitude," artist Lydia Musco put together a sculpture that places emphasis on structure, foundation, weight, time, and existence. The Artscapes around Pittsfield are quite impressive; to stand the test of time and weather is more than noteworthy considering that every artist who participated had to take such factors into account during the construction of each of their pieces. The work that Lydia Musco put together is no exception. At a glance, the sculpture looks to be nothing more than a column of reds, browns, and some greens. On the contrary, it is much more than that. The structure is composed of a stack of irregular slabs of concrete that display an imperceptible yet invoking presence. When studied up close, there are visual cracks and breaks in the structure possibly from weathering, but it still stands tall and independently regardless of which. It seems to exist by its own will despite its appointed state of solitude. Such a figure is epic.

Below is Musco's statement:

"Although this work is influenced by urban environments, it is equally fed by a connection to the rural, wooded landscapes I explored while growing up. My process is informed by methods associated with pouring building foundations, ancient Greek construction of columns, the formation of sedimentary layers, and the work of gravity. I'm thinking about the forms inherent in the accumulation and passage of time, specifically focusing on layers and the building up of a larger form with the stacking of multiple elements."

You can read more about Musco here: www.lydiamusco.com