Visiting Montreal I am drawn over and over again to this untold Sculpture this time after a rain shower giving a different aspect to the characters....
This "STRANGE" work of ART possesses more meaning than strikes the casual eye. The statue is *literally* POINTING at something, and this is an all-important *FACT*. The word "OMEN" means "TO POINT", "SIGN", etc. Its finger is aimed at a plaque that says, "The Tower of Industrial Life, 2000", the most expensive bit of property per sq. ft. in Montreal. The sculpture is *pointing* at the WORLD WE LIVE IN AT THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM.
Art plays the role of DIVINE REVELATION by the strange meeting of coincidences in to a meaningful whole that can be understood by the mind. Further, the crowd is united together, which is the opposite of how people live in modern industrial societies, especially MONTREAL. So what does this all mean? For me, this work of art is a "DIVINE SIGN" of what is coming to our city. That this work is surrounded by banks (Paris, Laurentian, Scotia, Hong Kong, CIBC), the most oppressive symbols of capitalism, on every side is no coincidence here either, rather it reveals the *TOTAL NEGATION* of the society which this work of ART represents. Also, the illuminated crowd comes together here ONLY THROUGH SOMETHING THAT APPEARS STRANGE AND TERRIFYING.....
Total of 65 figures, 66 if you include the spectator.....
THE PARIS BANK, the SYMBOL OF REVOLUTION FUSED WITH A BANK, THE ULTIMATE PARADOX...
and this is what it seems to be about.....The TERROR OF DIVINE REVELATION....the ILLUMINATED CROWD all are PALE WITH FEAR and HUDDLED TOGETHER....SOME ARE BREAKING DOWN, OTHERS ARE KILLING EACH OTHER, WHILE SOME ARE MAINTAINING THEIR COMPOSURE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT. I believe this is a *PROPHETIC* work of art of the highest order. They have removed the PLAQUE these days.....Perhaps the TRUTH IS TOO COSTLY FOR THEM......
"A crowd has gathered, facing a light, an illumination brought about by a fire..."
