The November Sculpture of the Month received its name from an auditorium full of people at the Louden Center in Santa Cruz, CA in 2007, during the first exhibit of my Rosecrans Project sculptures. The naming discussion focused in on our country’s propensity to go to war as a “National Pastime,” so I’ve carried this meaning for the piece with me ever since.
National Pastime
However, at the Santa Cruz Open Studio event, one attendee pointed out that the small ball with tentacles in the lower left of the piece looks a lot like a coronavirus!
I was stunned. I sketched this piece over 17 years before the virus took over our lives. As many of you know, and some may not, I believe strongly that art has the power to predict what we will discover in the future, sometimes years in advance.
Additionally, the coffin-like figure on the right has a similar, spiky ball in the middle of its chest. Also, the main figure’s cap might have a Red Cross stitched into it.Looking closer at the original sketch below , I further noticed that the ball in the hand of the main figure appears to be a globe of the world.
Perhaps a new interpretation on National Pastime could include the shared experience we’ve all had in quarantine reflecting more deeply on how we pass our time, and the realization that playing as a team helps us face crisis and loss with courage and fortitude.
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