I was all set to write my first piece on Surrealism. I even went back to the museum today to look around again and take some notes. But then I picked up this week's City Pulse, and what I saw on page 3 nearly floored me.
Regular readers of Synaesthesia will remember my blog entries (October 6, and two followups on the 8th and 9th) on the Michael Heizer sculpture "This Equals That," which was torn down last December. Supposedly it had been trucked to a state warehouse to wait for restoration. After an initial furor from city and state art lovers, the issue had been swept under the rug by the excitement of a new governor, and the much less exciting news of budget deficits.
City Pulse reporter Daniel Sturm (the first reporter to break the story) found out where the remains of the sculpture (the outer hull had been stripped away during the removal process) were actually being stored. They currently are being stored outside in a marshy field in Mason, covered with heavy plastic sheeting.
Welcome to the great state of Michigan, where we take deconstruction seriously! (Picture from City Pulse, 11/1/03; left half: University Historical Archives, MSU; right half: Greg Lawrence)
Horrifying, isn't it? Who would leave something like this out for the elements to destroy? If the artist were someone more famous, there would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth outside the artist community. I know with the last couple of years we've had here, it's not much use trying to get the sculpture restored. But can't we at least have these put in a nice cozy warehouse somewhere? I can't do this by myself. (Well, I could try shackling myself to the Capitol Building, but I don't think I'd get to far. "Governor Granholm, there's some lone nut chained to the front steps, demanding that we call some guy named Michael Heizer.") Anybody got Bill Milliken's number?
10:54:57 PM 
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