Poster Image
$20
Item#: 2007SYR09
Purchase Details
11x17-inches, printed on heavy weight (100-pound) Hammermill cover paper. We package each print with a piece of chipboard in a clear plastic sleeve.
You also receive…
An information page with photos of the artist and poet, and hand-written comments from each.
Medium- and large-format posters are available by custom order. Contact us for details.
Poem Inspiration Location
Sculpted Heroes Stand
poster information
Description
Sculpted heroes stand
guard on the icy square where
cold blades dart and glide
I think Clinton Square is a wonderful resource to Syracuse and to people who visit the city. Visually it's beautiful, and historically it's wonderful, in terms of its relationship to the canal's past.
When I've been there in winter, there's something very stately and historic about the sculptures and monuments. If you're skating and trying to stay warm, you might not observe them the way you would in summer, but they're still beautiful.
When I was inspired to write the poem, I felt as though those heroes were enjoying the square as much as we were. Obviously it's not rational, it's imaginary—but I felt that they would have been pleased to be honored, and pleased that their space was being enjoyed and shared. If they could speak, what would they be saying?
I knew what this poem was talking about. I'm from Syracuse, and I've always thought the Soldier and Sailors Monument was interesting. I had actually thought of painting it before, perhaps to give to my family, or for Father's Day.
I like to work in fantasy and science fiction, and that's partly why the monument appeals to me. In fantasies like Lord of the Rings, you have battles taking place in medieval settings. The monument could represent something out of fantasy, but it doesn't. The event was real, and that sparks my interest the most.
I also like the composition of the monument. It's impressive. And that's partly why my illustration turned out so well, because the subject was already good.