The Significance of Monuments essays

The Significance of Monuments essays Throughout the centuries many artists have constructed works of art to illustrate significant events, important people and beliefs of cultures. The Littlefield Memorial Fountain and Martin Luther King sculpture were both erected to convey the significant events of their time period. The location of both the Littlefield Fountain and the MLK sculpture help emphasize their importance. The Littlefield Fountain lays directly between the two most recognizable and renowned buildings in Austin, the Capital and the Tower. As one stands to look at the Fountain they can look beyond it to see the Tower and then directly behind them lays the Capital. The MLK statue stands in the middle of the East Mall, making it difficult for spectators to ignore its presence. The open space around the statue and the sidewalks leading up to it emphasizes its importance. Location in both these works of art plays a vital role in how the viewers appreciate them. The non-bronze elements in both works of art help give more meaning and better depict the significance the statues hold. The MLK statue rests on top of four cement blocks, which constructs a larger than life image. The height which he is portrayed at allows for a stronger feeling of admiration when looked upon. The shrub border and water fountains around the Littlefield Memorial enhance the visual appearance of the statue. The water which cascades down both sides towards the Littlefield Memorial brings the spectator to look directly at the statue. Also, the countropasto of the horses draws the spectator in to try and understand what is going on. Both the MLK and Littlefield Memorial statues are freestanding, but the MLK has several two dimensional characteristics as well. Around the base of the statue are four relief pictures which illustrate the quotes above them. These reliefss and non-bronze materials add texture to the sculptures and allow their viewers to see more than...