Creation Date

Sculpture creation date: 1975

Preview

image preview

Description

Black and white photograph of a large, wooden rhinoceros sculpture standing on a concrete pad beneath tall trees on the campus of the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, Maine. The artwork shown is entitled “Rhino,” created in 1975 by sculptor Bernard “Blackie” Langlais from wood and set on a rectangular concrete base. A bronze plaque between the sculpture's front legs reads, “BERNARD LANGLAIS/RHINO/GIFT FROM THE STATE OF MAINE/TO THE/UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE/1980”. The sculpture depicts a stylized rhinoceros with a long box-like body supported on four thick, rectangular legs, each carved from logs and attached to the underside. Broad circular reliefs on the flanks suggest powerful shoulders and hips, while the surfaces of the body and discs are scored with dense, sweeping incised lines and studded with bolts that create a pattern of overlapping arcs and dots. At the front, an angular head projects outward, with a carved eye, open rectangular mouth, and a tall, tapering horn rising from the snout, built from separate laminated pieces. The rhino stands in a grassy clearing among straight-trunked evergreens, with dappled light visible through the trees and low wooden rails in the distance. 1994. Unidentified, photographer. (See p16252-p16254, p16959-p16975) (See also NA4654.)(NA4800.)

Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) (1990-1995) was a nationwide survey that ran from 1990-1995 documenting America’s outdoor sculpture. Established in 1990, SOS! helped educate local communities about America’s endangered sculptural heritage. The Maine Arts Commission was one of 106 organizations to participate in this survey.

Topic

Folk art, Sculpture

Collection

MF161

Series Number

NA4800

Identifier

p16973

Rights and Access Note

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for non-commercial uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For more information, contact Special Collections.

Existence and Location of Originals

Located at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress: AFC 2012/047 https://lccn.loc.gov/2013655211.

Download Medium Thumbnail

Keywords

Save Outdoor Sculpture

Share

Image Location

 
 

Rights Statement

In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted