Dreiser- Shadows of Meaning

Site: Vigo Public Library, Terre Haute, IN

Artists: Jeanine Centuori and Russell Rock

Client: Art Spaces

This sculpture is created from Theodore Dreiser’s own words made physical, in large quotes.  With a column standing in for an abstracted typewriter platen, his chosen method of writing, and the faceted planar assemblage of quotes in the form of a sheet of paper, the piece casts shadows across the ground, inscribing there these bits of Dreiser’s thinking in a fugitive manner for viewers to read.  All this shadow play depends upon the time of day, the position of the viewer/reader and the time of year.  The angular folds to the paper represent various perspectives of thought and the quotes are taken from Dreiser’s works throughout his career.  Depending on whether one is approaching the north entrance of the library, or leaving through it, the metal quotes are more or less legible- the type is reverse on approach and readable when leaving, a subtle nod to the knowledge contained within the Library and Dreiser’s oeuvre.