Louise Bourgeois’ Crouching Spider moved onto the front plaza in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art today. The event announcing its presence included–besides the obligatory gaggle of local school children from Philadelphia and Media– the creme de la creme of local power women: Director Anne d’Harnoncourt and COO Gail Harrity of the museum; and from Pew Charitable Tusts, President Rebecca Rimel and Director of Culture and Civic Initiatives Marian Godfrey. Contemporary Art Curator Carlos Basualdo and Modern Art CuratorMichael Taylor also were there to celebrate the installation. Robert Storr was an invisible presence thanks to his role in helping secure the loan.
The critter weighs 4,000 pounds, and came in a number of pieces–legs, body and head and will grace the PMA plaza for a year. It’s not as flashy as Calder’s Eagle, but it packs its own sort of creepy wallop. As soon as the dignitaries finished speaking, the kids were let loose. They quickly figured out new ways to do the limbo with it.
If Rosa Kleb (“From Russia With Love”) were in “Alien,” this sculpture is who she’d be.
For images from my Flickr set, go here.
