Powell’s / Pod

Portland, Oregon

I’m visiting Portland for a meeting of department chairs and division heads, in order to learn how best to promote the department and recruit students. Having the benefit of a morning off, I decided to visit Powell’s book store, the largest and most comprehensive book store in the world.

 

 

Powells’ is book heaven. The store takes up this entire building.

Outside the bookstore, this sculpture by Pete Beeman caught my attention.

 

Pete Beeman, Pod, 2002, Stainless Steel, Titanium, Bronze.

To me the rods are gathering energy from the heavens and focusing them down into the pod suspended in the tripod. The rods move in the wind, and can change direction because of a clever mounting spindle, so the piece changes its shape depending on the winds.

 

 

The metal dedication plate says: “this sculpture is complete when a passer-by gives the pendulum a push”, so I did.