"The Representation of Man"

This piece interests me both for what it symbolizes and for its aesthetic qualities. It is called "The Representation of Man", carved from wood by Rudolf Steiner almost 100 years ago. The prominant figure in this sculpture represents humankind. He is taking part in a constant balancing act in which he must resist the demon (Ahriman) beneath him, who constantly urges him to fall into a total and inescapable despair, while simultaneously resisting the temptations of the figure above him (Lucifer) who means to convince him to live so lightly and freely that all earthly affairs cease to hold any amount of importance to him. I am intrigued by this reminder of the fragility of our states of being on a day to day basis, and at the same time the display of humanity's utter strength of will, and humanity as a bearer of a potential so strong that we hardly realize it within ourselves. On a more technical and physical level I am impressed by the ways in which Steiner manipulated layer upon layer of flat wooden boards, giving the material an incredible amount of fluidity and three dimensionality while still retaining some of its original woodblock-like qualities. This piece is about as tall as a two story house, so I also have a lot of respect for how much time and effort he put into it.

The images I used came from this page:

http://www.rudolfsteinerweb.com/galleries/Steiner_Sculpture/index.html