The Search, (sculpture).

The Search, (sculpture).

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.

The Search, (sculpture).

Commissioned 1977. 1984. Installed May 9, 1985. Dedicated May 11, 1985.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: bronze; Base: reinforced concrete.

Sculpture: approx. 9 x 14 x 6 ft.; Base: approx. 6 ft. x 18 in. x 18 in. (3,000 lbs.).

(Lower proper left:) B. Bright/1984 (At the base, in front:) "The Search"/by Barney Bright/dedicated May 11, 1985 signed

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.

Portrait male -- Bright, Barney -- Full length

Occupation -- Art -- Sculptor

Allegory -- Life

Recreation -- Leisure -- Conversation

Outdoor Sculpture -- Indiana -- New Albany

New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, 180 West Spring Street, Entrance, New Albany, Indiana 47150

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).

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Indiana survey, 1993.

Louisville (June 1985): pg. 37.

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.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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