The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach hosts a pair of sculptures that will later be part of a trio of them on display in the garden of the Forte on Flagler, a luxury condominium complex slated to open in 2025.
The two sculptures at Norton are part of the West Palm Beach Art Walk, a collaboration between the developers of Forte on Flagler and the city of West Palm Beach through its ArtLife WPB program.
“The collaboration between Forté on Flagler, the City of West Palm Beach and the Norton Museum of Art further integrates our commitment to the local arts community, providing residents and the entire neighborhood with access to world-class sculpture in a peaceful, natural oasis in downtown West Palm Beach,” said Reid Boren, managing partner of Two Roads Development, one of the developers of Forté on Flagler, “This permanent installation will help foster a deeper connection between art and the general public and for visitors to experience the magic of art. in unexpected places.”
Every Forte sculpture in the Flagler Sculpture Garden was made by a woman.
‘Pineapple’ by Rose Wiley and ‘Time’ by Kiki Smith are on display at the Norton. The third piece, “The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926” by Alison Janae Hamilton, will be on display at the Forte on Flagler with “Pineapple” and “The Weather” when construction on the apartment complex is complete.
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James said culture and the arts are “crucial drivers in creating the city we want to live in. Through the city’s partnership with Forté on Flagler and the Norton Museum of Art, this fully showcases West Palm Beach’s commitment to our vibrant artistic community and gives our residents the opportunity to experience artwork created by prominent women artists.”
Here’s a detailed look at the three, as described by Norton:
“Pineapple” by Rose Wiley
After purchasing a pineapple at her local market in 2013, Wiley made numerous drawings, intrigued by its vaguely human proportions, spiny exterior and unusually large leaf crown. For Wylie, working in three dimensions represents a further act of translation from original image to painting to sculpture, which equally reveals the formal qualities of these forms as well as their symbolic resonances. Produced on a massive scale, “Pineapple” extends Wylie’s distinctive visual language into the realm of the viewer.
The Time by Kiki Smith
“The Weather” is a self-portrait that dually represents the changing seasons and the wind. The sculpture depicts a female face with enigmatic rays streaming from her mouth, eyes and hair, evoking the many emanations of a powerful female body such as speech, tears, breath and thoughts. Although large in form, Time preserves the linearity of Smith’s works on paper through its cross-hatching and sinuous planes. Despite the heavy material, the work exudes dynamism and lightness, reminiscent of the mobility of nature.
“The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926” by Alison Yanae Hamilton
The 20-foot sculpture made of tambourines was inspired by “Florida Storm,” a 1928 hymn written by Judge Jackson, as well as accounts of the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane mentioned in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes they looked at God’. It was chosen for the West Palm Beach Art Walk to honor South Florida’s unique history and geography and inspire viewers to admire the city’s natural wonder.
Wayne Washington is a journalist covering West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and race relations for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected]. Help support our work; subscribe today.
