STANDING OWL l
By Thomas Houseago
Presentation by
Lorna, Maddie, Austen, and Julia
ABOUT THE SCULPTOR
Thomas Houseago was born in Leeds England
in 1972 and currently works and lives in Los
Angeles, California
Thomas went to school at Jacob Kramer
Foundation College in Leeds, St. Martin's
School of Art in London, and the De
Ateliers in Amsterdam in the
Netherlands.
SCULPTUE-SCULPTOR RELATIONSHIP
Houseago says that for some people the Standing
Owl is unacceptable for them because it isn't as
serious as his other sculptures. One thing that
Houseago likes is having a show where the
audience responds in very different ways.
Most of his pieces are complex and can be
interpreted in many different ways but for this
sculpture it is more him making an Owl the best he
can rather than something complex and
interpreted differently.
Houseago’s other more “serious” works
INTERESTING DETAIL
When you first see the
owl in person you may
not notice that the owl is
cut in three pieces.
The reason he decided
to cut the owl in three
pieces was to possibly
make the viewer think
into the reason of
placing the three pieces
where they were, what
signifies each piece and
what is inside.
There isn’t one way to see
just the sculpture in one
whole, but rather several
different details and
pieces together. Creating
different levels and pieces
adds more complexity to
the piece.
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3
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INTERESTING DETAIL
Another possible reason was the artistic
influences that Thomas had throughout his
life. When Thomas was younger he went
to three art schools. He took influences
from all three of his schools and made
them into three different pieces to signify
the importance of this sculpture and show
how he has come along as a great artist
and amazing sculptor through his success
in his schooling.
LANDSCAPE
When the viewer is first introduced
to this sculpture, he/she sees an
owl sculpted out of bronze.
When facing it, a sense of
symmetrical balance comes
into line between one side
(hollowed eye/healthy
feathers/neat slabs) and
another (caved
in/sickly/messy structure).
This could represent life and
death or different
perspectives from person to
person.
There is also a symmetrical split
down the back of the sculpture
LANDSCAPE AND INTERACTION
The owl is surrounded by trees, and is secured
in a patch of fernlike plants, planted in random
places. Three trees create a triangular shape
around the owl, creating a place of shade and
serenity.
This sculpture is placed high up on a hill, like
an owl in a tree, and makes the viewer more
personal with the owl than if we were
looking up at it from the ground.
There is a rope closure around it, which makes the viewer walk completely around the owl
and gives more time to think. The title of the sculpture is “Standing Owl I”, but we, as
viewers, are not allowed to physically stand next to it, which might show that we are
supposed to view it from afar, rather than notice the smaller details.
REVEALING DETAIL
The most revealing detail of “Standing Owl l” is
not on the actual sculpture, but rather the fact
that owls are know to be the free flying
predators of the night, and yet the sculpture is
firmly placed on the ground. Also this sculpture
is one of the few at storm king with a rope
barrier around it, which combined with the tall
trees surrounding the statue from the sides and
above creates a sort of cage for this poor
trapped owl.
REVEALING DETAIL AND CONCLUSION
The trees, along with the foliage inside the
rope, are not just a enclosure for the bird, they
also show a calm forest setting not unlike the
natural habitat of an owl. However, the owl is
not behaving normally, for it is standing on the
ground instead of perching in the branches of a
tree. This peculiar, abnormal behavior of the
‘owl’ reveals a very interesting contrast.
Setting of the owl sculpture
(with rope barrier and trees)
Thomas Houseago brilliantly portrays many
complex ideas through this single sculpture.
By way of many different details “Standing Owl
l” shows contrasts, symmetry, nature, and
greatness.