Public Art

Profile Canto

By Ernest Trova
Category: Sculpture

About

Trova’s Profile Canto series evolved from his Falling Man series, which became increasingly blossom-like. The more organic Profile Cantos are composed of round, metal petal forms. The sharp projections and sweeping curves of the Profile Canto series seem to extend the body of the Falling Man figure into space like a shadow, and early works in this series incorporated a small Falling Man. From the front, the Profile Cantos appear to be purely abstract geometric forms, but there is a figure hidden in each of them. The word “canto” in the title, defined as a division in a long poem, emphasizes the fact that each sculpture is a further study in Trova’s ongoing exploration of the Falling Man. Each flower-like sculpture was modeled first in cardboard, then sheet metal, and finally in Cor-ten weathering steel, adding to its organic nature. This Profile Canto sculpture sits in a recessed courtyard of an office building in a shallow pond of water.

Dimensions: 15′ x 8′ 4″ x 4′ 5″
Year Completed: 1973
Material: Stainless steel
Owner: Siteman Organization
Donor: Siteman Organization


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