|
|
Fœtus to Man Photo Gallery
A collection of images of the sculpture in Lille, France.
Fœtus to Man video NEW
A short illustrative (silent) video.
(download)
Sorry, this video is disabled temporarily.
|
Fœtus to Man is a large-scale permanent commission for the city of Lille, France. In this commission MacMurtrie further explores his fascination with the cycles of life in the form of a time-keeping piece. The Fœtus to Man clock accommodates a slightly larger than life-sized figure of a man made of hand-pounded bronze. The hands of the figure act as the hour hand of a clock. As time progresses toward 12 o’clock, the figure moves from a fetal position to stand fully erect. At 12 o'clock, the figure turns, showing an aged visage, and prepares for its descent back to the fetal position at 6 o'clock. The figure thus cycles every 12 hours. The permanent work was installed in Lille in December 2003 on the occasion of the city's inauguration as the European Cultural Capital, 2004.
The form of the work, the jaquemart, or elaborated clock, is an extension of a tradition of clock-making which originated in the Flanders region. The style incorporated mechanized human or animal figures, often dancing or playing musical instruments, or animated representations of the heavens or earth to ornament the telling of time. Fœtus to Man is an homage to this history and the region from which it sprang.
Fœtus to Man can be found on the Salle Concorde at the corners of Boulevard du Metz and St.Bernard in the city of Lille, France.
|
|
