Anticipating Anticipator by Matthew Geller

As part of the Florence Griswold Museum’s Agora Project—an initiative funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to make our grounds and gardens a community gathering place—we have commissioned a new, temporary outdoor sculpture. A noted sculptor in the field of public art, Matthew Geller has designed Anticipator, a work for the Museum grounds that combines a recycled tree trunk with three “bionic” limbs forged from Cor-ten steel. These perforated branches will emit colored light and mist through oversized flower “blossoms.” Playful, accessible, and unexpected, the sculpture offers elements of surprise that will encourage visitors to interact with it and each other, fostering a sense of community as they stroll the grounds. Anticipator will shape its environment in an almost animate way, introducing the elements of mist and light and eliciting feedback in return.

Woozy Blossom (Platanus nebulosus), 2010.
 Katonah Museum of Art

Geller often incorporates mist into his works as a means of sparking conversation among viewers by subtly changing their surroundings. At FGM, the mist will transform the environment, influencing how visitors perceive light and air against the backdrop of the Lieutenant River, a subject of interest to the generations of artists who have painted in and around the Florence Griswold House. The sculpture’s futuristic combination of natural and artificial forms will play off our historic site—the tree trunk has been salvaged from the grounds and the exotic blooms recall Miss Florence’s interest in non-native species, many of which she planted around her house. A new biomechanical hybrid that is part plant and part machine, Anticipator will shape its environment in an almost animate way, introducing the elements of mist and light and eliciting feedback in return.

Anticipator arrives on June 8, with a day of fun family activities. Until then, check our website and Facebook for additional posts about the progress of the Anticipator project!

For more of Matthew Geller's work, check out his website: www.matthewgeller.com

Amy Kurtz Lansing

Curator

Florence Griswold Museum