Living In Between

As we passed this sculpture today, I asked my son to guess what it was called. He said “Berlin,” which I thought was both funny and appropriate. It turns out, the sculpture is called Living In Between and it is the work of Agnieszka Koziarz.

As we were looking at it, I read aloud the description of the piece and I couldn’t stop laughing. Agnieszka Koziarz, this is the most amusing art description I have ever read. I thank you for the unintended joy you brought.

At one time, I taught writing to art students, and one of the topics we covered was the descriptions that galleries place alongside art works. If I still taught those classes, I would definitely bring this in as an example of how not to write for the general public.

This description bears little (if any) resemblance to the sculpture, we couldn’t find the profile of a woman or the sphere anywhere, and I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of “the walls of home, boundary, and body”. I thought perhaps there was something lost in translation. Also, having been housebound all week, I am definitely not longing for containment.

Anyway, if you want to enjoy a good laugh, read that description aloud to someone. Do it slowly, with professorial intensity as though you really get it.