- Gacrux (stars.astro.illinois.edu)
GACRUX (Gamma Crucis). In our “western” star lore, the stars with proper names come from the set that could be seen from the lands of the ancient middle east and Arabia, and do not include those of the far southern hemisphere, which is largely invisible below the horizon from northern lands. Yet those who needed the stars to find their way, the old navigators, also needed quick names for some of the stars and just made them up. “Gacrux” is a prime example of such a star, its name deriving strictly from its Greek letter name, Gamma Crucis, the third-brightest star in the constellation Crux, the Southern Cross.
- Standing Figures (Thirty Figures) (art.nelson-atkins.org)
Magdalena Abakanowicz’s figures are instantly identifiable by their stark imagery. The haunting power of these headless, standing figures invites many interpretations, and the artist welcomes this approach. Could they be awaiting final judgment? Do they suggest war victims? Are they primordial beings in silent communication? Each figure is individually cast from a burlap-lined body mold.
Standing Figures in the Dark