The Bass Concert Hall in Austin, TX currently has a collection of 30 sculptures on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  They are scattered around the grounds and inside the newly renovated lobby.  The sculpture directly in front of the main entrance quickly grabs your attention.

 For fun we tried to guess the name of this piece before we looked at the information plaque.  We thought it might have some tie to the Sleepy Hollow story of Washington Irving, or that it might be a visual commentary on the violence of a past dictator.  I should’ve known that when it comes to modern art, the obvious is the best bet.

I will admit that as we stood there looking at it, my imagination kept putting different heads on it.  Try as I might,  nothing my mind could conceive of seemed to fit on the stiff, unanimated figure.  With no commentary on the plaque, I was resolved to accept if for what it was-a figure on a trunk.

Later, I asked my 7 year old what she thought about the statue.  “It’s OK,” was her short response. “Well, I don’t get it,” I confessed,”I wonder why there isn’t a head? ” She shrugged her shoulders and said non-chalantly, ” I get it.  It’s just to keep you curious, mom.  Just to keep you asking that question-Why.”   

 OK.   I get it now.  And now you know why I love taking this child to museums 🙂