Portal and Stelae by Carlos Dorrien - East Boston, Massachusetts - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

The work consists of four granite sculptures by Carlos Dorrien spread out over 1500 feet along a (mostly) north-south path, each 350 to 600 feet apart from the next. IAS 87740001. The most northern and largest, "Portal", is made from several massive pieces of light colored stone arranged at the corners of a square. The other three take nearly identical form: dark granite slabs with locally historically-connected, intricate and realistic items bas relief carvings on horizontal front faces with rough, uncarved rear faces that angle slightly outward from the top toward the bases.

Artist: Dorrien, Carlos, 1948- , sculptor.

Title: Harborwalk Sculptures, (sculpture).

Other Titles: Portal and Stelae, (sculpture); Stelae and Portal, (sculpture).

Dates: 1985.

Medium: Granite.

Dimensions: Portal: approx. 14 x 12 x 12 ft.; Stele: approx. 6 ft. x 3 1/2 ft. x 15 in.

Inscription: (Portal:) dorrien 85 signed

Description: This two part sculpture is designed to reflect the history of the harbor and the surrounding community composed of more than thirty ethnic groups. Portal, at one end of the Harborwalk, is a group of four granite posts of varying heights which are engraved with patterns and textures, and images such as stars and hands. The stele, at the other end of the Harborwalk, is a triangular slab of granite with sides that are divided into rectangular boxes containing symbols of shipbuilding, labor, and immigration. Symbols of shipbuilding include a ship's mast, a rope, a chain, and a pulley; symbols of labor include a shovel, a hammer and mallet, a net, and a large hook; symbols of immigration include a lighthouse, an ear of corn, a bunch of grapes, and a fish. The sculptures are installed along the Harborwalk between Maverick Street and the Ferry Landing.

Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum - Inventory of American Sculpture

Northernmost piece coordinates - "Portal": 42.36524971821846, -71.02782473780321

TITLE: Portal and Stelae ARTIST(S): Carlos Dorrien DATE: 1985 MEDIUM: granite CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 87740001 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Boston Harborwalk between Maverick Street and the Ferry Landing - East Boston, MA DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: The work appeared as described the day of my visit except the Stelae are not "at the other end of the Harborwalk"; they are at three locations each spaced a few hundred feet apart along the path.

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