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Vote For Your Favorite Poe Statue Submission

Which design do you think should be used for the Poe statue at Charles and Boylston streets?

By Kasey Hariman
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January 12, 2012

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A projected image of the Bonner/Stayner statue concept.

Bonner and Stayner's proposal, called "'Tis the wind and nothing more," consists of "a small, freestanding triangular glass pavilion in Poe Square, adjacent to the Boston Common. The project is comprised of an almost spectral structure of steel fins above a distorted glass façade that faces onto Charles Street. The corrugations in the glass are both structural and provide shelving for the display of objects. Surrounded with landscaping on the exterior, the interior of the kiosk contains a collection of Edgar Allan Poe related items on exhibition and for sale. In the absence of an historical building related to Poe’s time in Boston, the sculpture is intended to function as a cenotaph meets “gift shop,” as a Wonderkammer, and as an interpretive center or place-maker for a schedule of gatherings, meetings and activities related to the fraught relationship between Poe and his hometown of Boston." Source: http://bit.ly/ArG4ec. Jennifer Bonner & Christian Stayner

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As Rocknak says in her artist's statement, "I propose to cast a life-size figure of Poe in bronze (approximately 5’ 8” tall). Just off the train, the figure would be walking south towards his place of birth, where his mother, father and maternal grandmother once lived. Poe, with a trunk full of ideas—and worldwide success—is finally coming home." Source: <a href="http://bit.ly/yAi40V.">http://bit.ly/yAi40V.</a>

Credit Stefanie Rocknak

Rocknak also says, "The patina for the figure and the paper trail (and heart) would be gray over black, with a matte finish. Streaks of black would show through on the Raven and on parts of the Poe figure (e.g. on the hair, inner coat, pants and shoes), but the overall effect would be ghost-like. The figure would look like an apparition. The lighting would be up-lighting, installed around the figure and flush with the brick." Source: <a href="http://bit.ly/yAi40V.">http://bit.ly/yAi40V.</a>

Credit Stefanie Rocknak

Rocknak adds, "The papers in the paper trail would be very thin and unobtrusive (1/8 to 1/16 of an inch). They could easily be plowed over if the plow is raised a half inch, or less. They would have no raised edges so they could be walked on, and not cause any kind of tripping hazard. If necessary, they could be inset. Some of these pieces of paper could have fragments of stories and/or poems engraved on them (with a 19th century font, approximately 18 point), to add to a sense of discovery for the viewer." Source: <a href="http://bit.ly/yAi40V.">http://bit.ly/yAi40V.</a>

Credit Stefanie Rocknak

Hirsch and Olson explained the reason they put Poe and the second figure on a pedestal. As they say: Both Poe and the shrouded figure are raised above a stone base allowing them to be seen in their entirety from the higher grade at the foot of Boston Common and providing a context in which to reveal the complexity of Poe’s artistry through the experience of the artwork. The base embodies the tradition of commemoration and is formed of pairs of pillars that lean precariously against one another. Within the pillars is contained a space, evocative of funerary monuments, which holds a portion of the shroud descending from above and presenting a puzzle to which Poe points and in which his words as a critic are hidden." Source: <a href="http://bit.ly/At1SZE.">http://bit.ly/At1SZE.</a>

Credit Hirsch/Olson

Hirsch and Olson added a second figure to their work, and explain her as such: "In our project Poe’s figure is mirrored by the ambiguous shrouded figure which reappears throughout his fiction and which seemed to haunt his life. This apparition, suspended between life and death, functions as the touchstone for the moment of dissolution which was often the climax of Poe’s work, and as a symbol of the triumph of sensation over thought which was his declaration of independence from the literary establishment." Source: <a href="http://bit.ly/At1SZE.">http://bit.ly/At1SZE.</a>

Credit Ann Hirsch & Robert Olson

Design team Hirsch and Olson explain the dominant theme of their submission: "Poe’s struggle between sensation and abstraction, a conundrum that governed both his life and his literary production, is our artwork’s dominant theme. The split of thinker and feeler, man and child, son and mother, subject and object, real and imaginary, often felt to be irreconcilable, drove his work and his interest in artistic unity. Using language throughout his life to master his grief and sense of isolation, Poe continually re-enacted his loss in a journey into the boundary of life and death, which begins with exacting intelligence, moves through sensational horror, and climaxes in dissolution." Source: <a href="http://bit.ly/At1SZE.">http://bit.ly/At1SZE.</a>

Credit Ann Hirsch & Robert Olson

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We want to know what you think: Which Edgar Allan Poe-inspired design should be installed in Edgar Allan Poe Square, at the corner of Charles and Boylston streets?

Related Topics: Arts and Edgar Allan Poe

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William Brokhof

11:22 am on Friday, January 13, 2012

I like the sculpture by Ann Hirsch.

Leah Zee

11:43 am on Friday, January 13, 2012

Most definitely the Hirsch/Olson sculpture!

Paul

7:52 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012

Rocknak's statue is ALIVE! It demands your attention. You can't help but want to know the story behind it - and the story is amazing!

Martha

11:52 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012

The Hirsch/Olsen project is the one that "grabs you by the throat" and makes you shudder in the best of ways. The pavilion is pretty but not specific to Poe, and the idea of filling it with tourist items for sale commercializes and undervalues the haunting poetry of Poe. Put the pavilion somewhere else in the city and do the best honor to Poe, by showing the man himself, and his lifelong shadow.

Edward Bing

3:21 pm on Sunday, February 12, 2012

I agree with Martha about the Hirsch/Olsen project. It has some real staying power.

John

9:59 am on Monday, January 16, 2012

Has to be Hirsch/Olson: sophisticated, imaginative, mysterious. Rocknak is just cute: "Make way for Poe!" The pavilion's nice, but what's it got to do with Poe?

Karen

6:35 pm on Monday, January 16, 2012

Cute? No doubt you haven't read Rocknak's Statement of Intent: http://poeboston.blogspot.com/p/design-concept-1_26.html

Peter B

10:47 am on Monday, January 16, 2012

The Hirsch-Olsen proposal is very traditional Boston yet also has an elegant mysteriousness that seems very Poe-like. Yes to this.
Rocknak's proposal is dynamic but kind of a one liner.
I dont understand the pavilion, a pretentious non kitsch (?) glass box with a lot of kitsch crap inside.

Karen

6:07 pm on Monday, January 16, 2012

I love Stefanie's! Love the trailing of the papers behind him.....I will look forward to seeing it when it is erected in Boston!

Marta Sales

7:03 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

"Ann Hirsch has successfully portrayed not only the iconic image of Edgar Allan Poe, but also his spirit as one of the greatest authors of American literature. As a sculptor myself, I know how rare it is to do just that, and she does it with both empathy and precision! A triumph!"

Cindy

2:15 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Stefanie Rocknak' sculpture of Poe shows his connection to Boston, depictions of his works, vitality, fluidity of motion and is definitely the best of the three entries.

Ellen Schon

3:45 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Hirsch's sculpture is mysterious, soulful, and beautifully rendered. Accessible to children and adults, it draws the viewer in with multiple layers of meaning.

don tessa

5:00 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012

This is daunting task for the Poe society to decide how best to represent this man. All are obviously creative, talented artists and/or architects. But what will be best suited for this Boston square. Considering the area is very busy, and Bostonians are a people on the move- not daudlers, the Poe statue should have the biggest impact upon first glance. The Rocknak sculpture would certainly do this. There is no question as to who the figure is, what he was about, and what his works are. The other two are either too ambiguous or just plain too lofty.

fred

11:07 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012

There is a parallel page with different results: http://backbay.patch.com/articles/save-4ab20be7#photo-8873011. The fact that the author of this process is unaware of it just goes to show how little this means. Please go to the Poe Foundation to register your feedback where it matters: http://poeboston.blogspot.com/

Sam Cohen

8:38 am on Friday, January 20, 2012

The Rocknak sculpture is dynamic and cute, but what does it tell passers-by what we don't already know about Poe? The Hirsch sculpture is more profound, but not so much to be esoteric. The Hirsch monument would be the best choice for a memorial that draws you in and educates, not just entertains.

Dror Heymann

11:38 am on Saturday, January 21, 2012

I support the work by Ann Hirsch and Robert Olson because they focus on Edgar Allan Poe’s life’s work and not just one aspect of his career.
By combining traditional figurative representation with cutting-edge architectural design, it not only makes the piece stand the test of time but achieves something never done before: since the figure is placed on the summit of the pyramid, and the pyramid becomes part of the monument, it gracefully defines the space around the sculpture, and successfully shows its monumental magnificence in the center of the whole space of the site. This not only reflects Poe’s image as an author, but also the extraordinary achievement of his work.