by Kathy Harlan
One of my most glorious art experiences was standing next to Michelangelo's monumental statue of David in Florence, Italy. Its sheer size and magnificence was overwhelming. Probably my most weird travel experience was visiting a chapel in the Czech Republic that was made entirely of human bones - alter, pews, chandaliers and all.
For a Texan, bigness and weirdness are impressive attributes. Austinites even remind themselves on bumper stickers to "Keep Austin Weird." And the "big hair" of Texas socialites is recognized the world over. So along with its fine and refined, critically acclaimed, innovative and admired objects and collections, Texas naturally claims some of the biggest and weirdest artistic displays in the country.
ADICKES ART
 Divid Adickes, an internationally known artist from Houston, is
the master of big art. His eight foot high bronze
statue of George H.W. Bush welcomes visitors
to Bush International Airport. That statue is dwarfed by the 76 foot high statue of Sam
Houston that startles unsuspecting visitors driving through Huntsville.
Take a quarter of a football field, stand it on end, and you get an idea
of the size of the monument.
If you visit Adickes’ foundry/showroom, Sculptorworx, located just
west of downtown Houston, you will be treated to the sight of The
Beatles towering overhead. Thirty six feet tall and weighing 7,000
pounds each, the Fab Four soar over the surrounding warehouses.
Hard-core Beatles fans complained that Adickes rearranged the group,
but he contends that it was artistically better balanced to reposition
the musicians. Their introduction was celebrated on June 7, 2007,
which Mayor Bill White proclaimed “David Adickes Day” in Houston,
a city known for its admiration of the big and the bold. The sculptures
were not intended to stand lonely sentry duty in a dusty lot, but so
far no entrepreneur or governmental entity has overcome the details
and red tape to offer them a home. Although Adickes owns property
along I-10, he doesn’t think it is visible enough for the greatest rock
stars ever.
A solemn procession of six huge presidential heads made its way
from Sculptorworx to Pearland this past March, undoubtedly shocking
any casual commuters. Pearland is among the small suburban towns
around Houston that has, almost overnight it seems, boomed into a
major city itself. And that city is getting ready to feature Adickes’ works
as central component of a development just off Highway 288 named
Water Lights. The Water Lights project, scheduled to be completed
in 2009, will feature residential condominiums, office buildings, retail
stores, restaurants and hotels built along a public park and waterway –
and the giant heads of 42 presidents of the United States.
Mr. Adickes has created such a display in the President’s Park located
in the Black Hills of South Dakota and a second set of presidents can
be found in Williamsburg, Virginia. The display is composed of 20 foot
high heads of all 42 United States presidents (Grover Cleveland was
elected twice but only gets one head). The grounds of Sculptorworx are
filled with similar likenesses intended to line the under-construction
river-walk in Pearland and they will be transported from time to time.
At the completion of President George W. Bush’s term of office, his
steel and concrete head will be added to each of the three Presidential
Parks.
The Sculptorworx foundry is in the process of being sold, so Adickes
can “pare down” a little, he says. At age 81, his version of taking it easy
would exhaust most young men. He has purchased his old high school
in Huntsville, which he will turn into a museum/gallery/studio. He
would still like to create a massive cowboy that, at 280 feet tall, would
be the largest statue in North America. That is twice as tall as the
Statue of Liberty and would continue the Texas tradition of outsizing
other national monuments. Remember, the San Jacinto Monument is
15 feet taller than the Washington Monument. Also on Adickes’ wantto
list is a colossal Charlie Chaplin.
David Adickes’ larger-than-life creations have been controversial
from the beginning. His whimsical Cello, formally known as Virtuoso,
was commissioned in 1984 especially for the Lyric Center in downtown
Houston. The structure of that building called for an outsized, but
artistically enjoyable anchor piece, he said. So he created the first of his
large pieces. Cello is a landmark that delights many passers-by. But it
had to withstand the screams from traditional art organizations, which
would rather Texas be known for displays “finer” than giant pop art.
It seems that most everyone likes Adickes’ signature pieces except the
art critics. Anticipation of the Pearland locals to the latest Adickes
display is mixed – while some declare it “Texas Tacky,” most look forward
to the attention the monumental attraction will bring.
Although David Adickes considers himself more a painter than a
sculptor, his big Texas sculptures are unique, just like the artist himself.
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