Olympic Iliad - Seattle, WA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

The Olympic Iliad sculpture is the largest sculpture on the Seattle Center grounds. It stands 45 feet long, 60 feet wide and 30 feet tall. It has quite the presence when you approach it and the painted steel tubes portray a different look and feel depending on which position you are in relation to it. The AIC description regarding this sculpture says the following:

Abstract sculpture of 41 cylinders of various widths and lengths all piled on top of and beside each other. The cylinders are painted bright red. The sculpture is supported by five cylinders which are vertical and are set in the ground ... Funding for the sculpture was donated by private citizens, local foundations and corporations. Building supplies and services were donated by local construction firms. The sculpture is popularly known as "Pasta Tube."

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There are two plaques lying flush with the ground near the sculpture and the larger of the two plaques says:

OLYMPIC ILIAD
ALEXANDER LIBERMAN
1984
A GIFT TO THE SEATTLE CENTER AND THE
CITIZENS OF SEATTLE FROM...
JACQUELINE AND NORTON CLAPP
MR. AND MRS. ALBERT KERRY AND MRS. KERRY TRIMBLE
JANE M. LANG
MRS. LLOYD NORDSTROM
PACCAR FOUNDATION
MRS. DOUGLAS SCHEUMANN AND MRS. EVANS WYCKOFF
DOTTIE AND HUNTER SIMPSON
SIMPSON REED FUND
THE SKINNER FOUNDATION
SPACE NEEDLE CORPORATION
SAMUEL AND ALTHEA STROUM PHILANTHROPIC FUND
VIRGINIA WRIGHT FUND
WYMAN YOUTH TRUST
WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE SEATTLE
ARTS COMMISSION, SEATTLE CENTER 1% FOR ART
FUNDS, AND THE SEATTLE CENTER FOUNDATION
CHARLES ROYER, MAYOR

The other, smaller plaque contains names of contributors to this sculptor. If you care to read more on artist Alexander Liberman's life, who lived from 1912 to 1999, you can click on a Wikipedia link here. Of all the sculptures I visited in the Seattle Center grounds, this was my personal favorite for shear size, color and design.

TITLE: Olympic Iliad ARTIST(S): Alexander Liberman DATE: 1984 MEDIUM: Painted steel tubes CONTROL NUMBER: IAS WA000515 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Seattle Center grounds Seattle, WA DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: I didn't notice any differences between AIC's description and my own personal observation. *NOTE* AIC has my permission to use the pictures I've provided when creating this waymark for their database. ~Doug Halvorsen (thebeav69)

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit, your impressions of the sculpture, and at least ONE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH. Add any additional information you may have, particularly any personal observations about the condition of the sculpture.

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