Flame of Hope

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Flame of Hope

I was walking along Michigan Ave., in Grant Park, when I saw it across the street. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. It was a sculpture entitled Flame of Hope, by Leonardo Nierman. I know I’ve passed by this sculpture before, but I never really paid any attention to it. I don’t know why, but it caught my eye today. Maybe it was the break in the buildings, or the way the sun was reflecting off of it, but for whatever reason I was fixated.

The sculpture is in between three buildings, right next to another sculpture. It seems as though the sculptures were placed there to give the people of Chicago something to look at other than buildings. The sculpture is made of shiny, silver, metal and has a very smooth surface. Because of the time of day and the way the sun has been reflecting off the sculpture, its surface is hot to touch. Some parts are hidden from the sun though, and no matter how hard the sun tries, it will never reach those areas. It’s like an unending game of tag where the sun is always it. Standing next to the sculpture, I’m reminded of how little I actually am. It’s a very humbling experience whenever one realizes how little a person really is when compared to the big picture. For some reason, that’s the feeling I got as I looked up at this shiny piece of metal. The flame is made up of several distorted shapes, both large and small, but in some way, they all fit together, like a jigsaw puzzle. All the shapes are not connected though, and there are places where you can look through and see the sky. It’s as if someone took a picture, and for one brief moment, the sky is frozen in time.

There are so many angles and curves to this sculpture. It looks as though it's in continual motion; it intertwines within itself. Depending on where you stand, it can take on different shapes and personalities. From across the street, I could see a dancer. Her arms and legs flailing about to the ever-changing beat of the music that has captured her soul. The beautiful dancer is in continual movement; never stopping for a breath, she just keeps dancing. In between the buildings she moves, allowing anyone who wants to stop, to enjoy the show.

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