Inspired to make his huge sculptures after being
overwhelmed by the majesty of Mount Rushmore
in South Dakota, but frustrated he couldn’t get close
enough to see into the eyes of the presidents, Adickes’
yard is afectionately called ‘Mount Rush Hour’ thanks
to its location beneath the I10 and I69 overpasses.
Some of the works have been damaged by their
outdoor home — but this is a feature rather than
a detraction, as it allows a glimpse inside the statues,
which are notable feats of engineering as much as art.
With the road looming large in American culture,
it’s fitting that much of Houston’s art is entwined in the
city’s share of the 77,000 kilometres of US highway.
A turn of the wheel to the southbound 288 will
take you to Eclectic Menagerie Park, where you’ll find
more sculptures, including an outsized daddy-long-legs
spider, airplanes and a troupe of elevated musicians
guarding the industrial site of the Texas Pipe and Supply
Company. Marvel at the detail sculptor Ron Lee has put
into the works — carved and shaped as though working
with silk and not wrought iron. Aim to visit at dusk to
appreciate the way the park pops up from the flat city,
making for perfect pictures against a playful sky.
The parade of gas guzzlers that will lead you back
to the city centre is a world away from the vehicles
on show at the Art Car Museum in the Memorial
steven felgate
(Steven Felgate)
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