Artists Words: Placing a coat rack on a downtown street corner plays on the fact that this is not something you would normally see on a street corner. A household object that represents a useful appliance in our daily life, one that we literally hang our coat on when we come in the door, possibly the first thing we touch when we arrive in our home, is now sitting out in the elements weathering the storms and road salt with snow at its feet. It takes on a completely different meaning and hopefully makes us think like we normally wouldn't think.
When I set out to create a piece the things that physically make up that piece aren't important. It can be found objects or difficult carved shapes, it can be made of exotic wood or purchased at Pier 1 on clearance for $65. The most important thing that needs to be present in every piece is that something about the work is poetic. Something about the work is bigger than the work itself. Be it profound or simple, tongue in cheek or hillarious, if it lacks poetry to me, it isn't a successful sculpture.
By Ken Peterson of Sioux City, Iowa