Day Of Days

Day Of Days

Ellen Tykeson

September 30th, 2008

Reads:

"Day of Days

A description of the sculpture offered by the artist.

The sculpture, DAY OF DAYS, is a tribute to every woman's life. This riders bond with her animals depends on trust and understanding rather than control. The horse is a metaphor for the speed of our days and the parrot for the rhythms of teaching and learning. In the beehive, there is industry and community, while the apple's history is for knowledge and the gift of choice. Continuity in life and spirit twist through her ring of balance, Underfoot, the bow and buckle show that unwelcome challenges and amazing gifts often inseparable.

The Cascade Lily is an Oregon wildflower, emerging each year from the earth to bloom. Fragile yet durable, in cycle with the work of the bees. This lily represents the open promise of love. Celestial bodies and weather patterns tell of emotions and the briefness of our years. As rain or tears fall into a hidden pool they reflect stars of hope. For in gratitude of all that is given, joy does wait. Please push to rock, let the bells ring." 

This plaque is posted on two separate pillars, one in front of the statue, and one behind.

Front

Side 1

Back

Side 2

The statue at first glance is a simple piece positioned in the main lobby of the Riverbend Hospital. It stands about 7 feet tall with the base of it standing at 4 feet. The base is constructed out of marble slabs and bronze, and the statue of the woman and horse is completely bronze. 

When I first saw the statue to me it looked like it represented freedom, or hope, a connection to the earth around us. I have always thought it was a beautiful piece and it was the first structure I thought of when I read the instructions for this assignment. This statue helped me through the long months my grandfather was in the hospital before he passed, so it holds a special place in my heart. 

In the next few shots, you can see the individual pieces more clearly.

These are my "Tourist View" photos. 

The bells that hang from the horses bridal along with a better view of the woman and her pieces.

The woman as a whole with her hoop, parrot, beehive, and apple.

The buckle and the bow, under the foot of the woman. 

The twisting hoop. 

The base with the Cascade Lily, the celestial bodies and weather patterns.

Selfies

I took two pictures to work as the selfies for this particular statue and I am incredibly pleased with the way that they came out. 

One of the woman. Her face holds a peacefulness that I just love. 

And the simultaneous wild and serene look the face of the horse holds. 

Because of the shape of the statue I was unable to mauver around it to take a selfie in the traditional way and I was also scared to touch it as while it didn't process any obvious signs of wear and tear it seemed to be a fragile piece of work and I did not want to harm it by trying to position myself in a selfie kind of way. 

In these photos (some doubled from above) you can see the direction and things in which the statue gazes upon. Directly in front of the statue is the elevators that bring you up from the underground parking lot. When the doors open it is a clear view of the statue. However, the horses head turns slightly to the left, toward a second display that is nestled in a nook in the hospital lobby. The woman is facing up, slightly, she overlooks the second-floor catwalk, but I believe he is supposed to be looking toward the sky. 

As the monument stands in the center of the lobby it witnesses the coming and going of patients, visitors, doctors, nurses, and specialists. It greets everyone with its tall stance and serene look. It had seen joy, happiness, relief, heartbreak, exhaustion, hopelessness, and despair. It stands still in the lobby, bravely taking on the full emotion of the hospital holding the weight of them on its small shoulders. 

After my photoshoot of the statue, I took some time to study the plaque and the clues it gave of the statue. The statue was installed in 2008, and after asking the workers at the lobby desk, since it has been placed there nothing has really changed around it, as far as they know. 

My favorite thing about the statue is that it moves. It rocks back and forth when pushed gently, the bells hanging from the horse ring gently. 

I captured a video of my boyfriend rocking it gently and discovered that sadly the bells no longer really ring, rather they clang against each other. 

 I have removed the sound because there is confidential patient information that was being discussed at the desk behind me. 

(I would have taken a different video but I did not realize till uploading that it had picked up on the conversation going on behind me.)