-Liberty Bell c. 1938

This little bronze Liberty Bell, here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, may have been made anytime, really, by anyone. The texture is so important here. The bronze has been made to look almost rusted, like it's aged, which gives it such a weighty, historical feel. The crack itself is a beautiful scar, isn't it? Not something to be ashamed of, but part of its story. I find myself thinking about Eva Hesse, who also used industrial materials to make objects that feel so vulnerable and human. There's something similar going on here - this mass-produced object, made in perhaps a factory setting, has this incredible sense of history and emotion, of, dare I say it, liberty. There's no right or wrong way to read these things, just different ways of seeing.