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Arts & Entertainment

Exploring Brighton's Sculpture: 'Untitled Hand' and 'Conscious of Her Shores'

Patch continues its tour of Brighton's art with sculpture by Stephanie Buer and Jayson Lowery.

Last week on our tour of Brighton’s public art, we stopped to view "Three Fish (in the Mill Pond)," a concrete sculpture submerged just below the surface of Mill Pond.

This week, we’re headed to St. Paul Street to see two sculptures: Stephanie Buer’s "Untitled Hand" and Jayson Lowery’s "Conscious of Her Shores."

'Untitled Hand'

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One of the original Brighton Biennial pieces, "Untitled Hand" has been on display in Brighton since 2006. Back then, it marked the entrance to the walkway between and .

After Brighton City Manager Dana Foster purchased the sculpture and donated it to the city in 2007, the work was relocated to a pedestal in front of . It was moved again in July 2010 to its current location in a garden on the grounds of St. Paul’s.

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A simple, out-sized representation of a hand, the sculpture appears to be reaching up out of the ground. The sculpture has sustained some damage over the years. Mended cracks are visible near the bottom right corner. City officials aren’t sure if the damage is a result of vandalism or a result of time, weather, and several moves.

'Conscious of Her Shores'

Installed in July 2009 as part of the second Brighton Biennial, "Conscious of Her Shores" is one of two pieces Jayson Lowery has on display in Brighton. We visited Lowery’s other work, , back in January.

"Conscious of Her Shores" stands at the northwest corner of St. Paul Street and Grand River Avenue. Like much of Lowery’s work, it is composed of found steel and concrete.

Lowery’s use of sturdy materials gives the sculpture a heavy presence—literally and figuratively. The 55.5" x 19" x 18.5" piece seems to weigh a ton, and its title suggests a deep awareness of physical boundaries. The fence-like steel portions of the sculpture appear to contain the smooth concrete blocks.  

Both of Lowery’s sculptures were scheduled to be removed from Brighton at the end of August 2011, but, because its members like the piece, the Brighton Arts and Culture Commission (BACC) pursued an extension. Both pieces will remain in Brighton until August 2012. In the meantime, "Conscious of Her Shores" has a $7,000 price tag, while Siphon is going for $5,000.

The Brighton Biennial Sculpture Exhibit, a project overseen by the City of Brighton Arts and Culture Commission, originated in 2006. It consists of 35 sculptures, twelve permanent and twenty-three temporary. The permanent pieces were either bought by or donated to the city. The temporary pieces, whose duration in Brighton depends on individual contracts with the BACC, are for sale. Prices and details are available at http://www.downtownbrighton.com/1/brighton/art_walk.asp.

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