Presence / Absence, Through the Night, (sculpture).

Presence / Absence, Through the Night, (sculpture).

Swanson, Daniel, sculptor.

Presence / Absence, Through the Night, (sculpture).

Digital Reference:

Aluminum, limestone, and concrete.

H. 110 x W. 91 in.

(On front:) ABSENCE (On back:) PRESENCE unsigned

An archway constructed with an aluminum frame anchored at each end with limestone and concrete piers. "A commemoration of the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, 2001. The (archway) structure stands independently as a portal linking our common past to the present. It is an ambiguous structure which one may assume is in the process of construction, but may also be undergoing demolition. The inscriptions, "Presence" and "Absence" are ambiguous also, demonstrating their intrinsic dependence on one another. The aluminum frame recalls the metallic cladding of the towers, but the arch with its curved outline and use of limestone and concrete are designed to reflect the museum building.

Architecture -- Detail -- Arch

History -- United States

Outdoor Sculpture -- Iowa -- Fort Dodge

Blanden Memorial Art Museum, 920 Third Avenue South, Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501

The inscription on limestone plaque embedded in ground beneath arch reads: 9 -11 -01. The archway is what remains from a larger project that also included public recordings of memories and the display of artistic works reflecting individual emotional responses to the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy.

Fort Dodge Historical Preservation Commission, 2006.

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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Horizon Information Portal 3.25_9382

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