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Bright, Barney,
Bright, Jeb,
Lind, David,
Applegate, Robert L.,
Bright Foundry,
American Brass & Aluminum Works,
Padgett, Inc.,
Figure group
Portrait male -- Bright, Barney
Occupation -- Art
Allegory -- Life
Recreation -- Leisure
Outdoor Sculpture -- Indiana -- New Albany
Sculpture
The Search, (
sculpture
).
Artist:
Bright, Barney, 1927- , sculptor.
Bright, Jeb, assistant.
Lind, David, assistant.
Applegate, Robert L., architect.
Bright Foundry, founder.
American Brass & Aluminum Works, founder.
Padgett, Inc., contractor.
Title:
The Search, (
sculpture
).
Dates:
Commissioned 1977. 1984. Installed May 9, 1985. Dedicated May 11, 1985.
Digital Reference:
Medium:
Sculpture
: bronze; Base: reinforced concrete.
Dimensions:
Sculpture
: approx. 9 x 14 x 6 ft.; Base: approx. 6 ft. x 18 in. x 18 in. (3,000 lbs.).
Inscription:
(Lower proper left:) B. Bright/1984 (At the base, in front:) "The Search"/by Barney Bright/dedicated May 11, 1985 signed
Description:
A
sculpture
depicting eleven allegorical figures clustered around a tree trunk, some spinning out in different directions. The figures are both nude and draped, representing both sexes and various ages, some seen only in part. A slender female projects from one side, her hands raised and her hair upswept, as if she is floating. In the center of the
sculpture
are two males, one old and the other young, involved in an animated conversation while a hooded figure hovers above them. Behind them is a reclining middle-aged female, listening. At the bottom of the tree trunk is a nude boy. The
sculpture
is made of welded bronze and patinated golden-brown. The base is a slender shaft.
Subject:
Figure group
Portrait male
--
Bright, Barney
--
Full length
Occupation
--
Art
--
Sculptor
Allegory
--
Life
Recreation
--
Leisure
--
Conversation
Object Type:
Outdoor
Sculpture
--
Indiana
--
New
Albany
Sculpture
Owner:
New
Albany-Floyd County Public Library, 180 West Spring Street, Entrance,
New
Albany
,
Indiana
47150
Remarks:
The
sculpture
, which cost $46,000, was funded through private donation and was erected by the arts committee of the library. Planning for the project began in Feb. 1977 with a $1,500 bequest by Mrs. W. E. (Rosa) Janes for artwork in the library. The model for the
sculpture
was done by the artist for another commission that had fallen through. The
sculpture
was dedicated on May 11, 1985 as part of a ceremony closing the library's year-long centennial celebration. It is reportedly the first public
sculpture
in
New
Albany
,
Indiana
.
According to the artist, the
sculpture
represents what life is about, stating "It's a constant search
--
to find yourself, to find a mate, to find God." The bearded man in the center of the
sculpture
is the artist's self-portrait. The artist was assisted by his son, Jeb Bright, and local artist David Lind. The
sculpture
was cast at the artist's foundry in Louisville (KY), with the simplest shapes cast at American Brass & Aluminum Works in Louisville. The base was designed by the library's architect, Robert L. Applegate, and was installed by Padgett, Inc.
IAS files contain: a copy of library pamphlet on
sculpture
; an article from Louisville (June 1985): pg. 36-41; newspaper articles from the Tribune, May 10, 1985, pg. 1, May 12, 1985, pg. 1 (discussing the dedication), Oct. 5, 1991; Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) Aug. 15, 1984, and ca. May 11, 1985; clippings dated May 6, 1983, pg. 1, and May 16, 1985, from either the Tribune or the Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY).
References:
Save
Outdoor
Sculpture
,
Indiana
survey, 1993.
Illustration:
Image on file.
Louisville (June 1985): pg. 37.
Note:
The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and
Sculpture
database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.
Repository:
Inventories of American Painting and
Sculpture
, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Control Number:
IAS IN000924
Copy/Holding information
Smithsonian AmericanArt Museum
Control Number
Inventory of American Sculpture
IN000924
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