Sharks in the Trees

Now that the threat of the next frost is far far in the future and all the trees are suddenly covered in green, I want to go back to the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park.  It’s a gem in Lincoln, Massachusetts and now I know why everyone looked at me quizzically when I said I’d never been.  Because it is AMAZING. I went a few weeks ago – a Saturday that was the first unusually hot day of Spring – to be followed, of course, by many cold days.

There is nothing better than a good sculpture garden – or actually, there is nothing like a group of sculptures expertly placed in any environment.  It can be a small enclosed space for all I care – so long as it’s done well.  My favorites include: the backyard of Rodin’s house, the atrium in the Picasso museum in Paris and the Brancusi room in the Philadelphia Museum.

The DeCordova Sculpture Park is 35 acres with about 75 pieces of artwork.

There are even sharks in the trees:

People bring picnic lunches.  Small children run screaming from sculpture to sculpture, hiding from each other and yelling in delight when they come upon the next artwork.  As if they had discovered it for all mankind.  And their screams are not annoying.  That’s the awesome thing.  They are having a good time and it’s contagious.  So often, art spaces make people feel like they need to be serious.  Don’t talk out loud.  Don’t laugh!  But art is playful.  Artists can have a sense of humor – most of them do – and they make jokes in their work.  For the purpose of creating laughter.  Imagine!  Something about a sculpture garden helps you let down your guard as a viewer and just give way to the emotions that the work brings out.  It’s relieving.

There is also a traditional museum with multimedia pieces that are great.  It’s very worthwhile to go inside.

The museum is just minutes away from the Minuteman reserve.  The whole thing makes me want to go live in Lincoln MA.  I don’t need to walk down the street to get my coffee in the morning or a beer in the evening.  I will happily pour my own of both and sit out on my porch.