Reclining Figures on the Reclining Figure, 2023
Cork, paint
Brown University Main Green, Providence, RI
Beta installation: October 16, 2023
Installed: May 2024

“All art should have a certain mystery and should make demands on the spectator,” so said Henry Moore, the prominent British sculptor. But for several decades, a Moore piece (Three Piece Reclining Figure No. 2: Bridge Prop, 1963) has sat at the center of Brown’s Main Green making few demands on any spectators—most of whom hardly register it and some of whom see it only as an unconventional lounge chair.

A three-piece seating installation taking the form of a deconstructed, de-elevated version of the sculpture joined the original in spring 2024. The new work poked fun at the self-seriousness of mid-century abstract art while reanimating a popular gathering spot.

 This installation was made possible in part by a grant from the Brown Arts Institute and was approved by the Brown Public Art Working Group.