Modernist Movement
This sculpture embodies the Modernist movement, characterized by the emphasis on simplification and abstraction. The sleek, elongated form evokes the idea of flight and liberation, symbolizing humanity’s pursuit of the sublime. This work invites viewers to reflect on the profound connection between nature and aspiration.
Zboară
Says the space
To the bird without a face
“Fly”
Repeats the sky
To the feather in the dirt
And as though plucked by a cosmic hand
As though to make a final stand
As though it needn’t life to lift
The bird that was not a bird took to space
Chloe Alfonso, RE ‘24, Yale ‘28
Insights
That our conception of life can sometimes minimize our conception of the natural world that is not life. For example (at least for me) when we think of flight we likely think of a bird flying but rarely consider a single feather soaring through the air.
| Fields the author associated with the art | Biology, Philosophy |
Ascending
In smooth bronze curves,
A whisper takes flight.
With wings unformed,
Yet the spirit clear,
It speaks to my heart,
Inviting me near.
Gravity-defied,
It nods to the skies.
Kinetic potential
In silence resounds,
A journey of matter
Through unseen bounds.
The essence of motion,
A streamlined embrace,
A fusion of beauty,
Of science, of grace.
Like photons in dance,
It waltzes, it gleams,
Reflecting our hopes,
Our wishes, our dreams.
Its elegant arc,
Time seems to dissolve,
A metaphor crafted
For minds to resolve.
A freedom untainted,
Unanchored, unchained,
In its flight it shows
The rise of free minds.
Nelson Manstein, RE ’26
Insights
This is a seemingly simple sculpture, yet, when writing about it, this poem brought to mind many concepts of physics like fluid and flight dynamics. The ekphrastic poem also elicited a certain psychological essence of aspiration and even the pursuit of freedom and transcendence.
| Fields the author associated with the art | Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Philosophy, Psychology |