Montreal, Quebec, Canada: The Illuminated Crowd
A sculpture of an artificial mob scene in front of a bank in Montreal.
- Address:
- 1994 McGill College Ave., Montreal, PQ, Canada
- Directions:
- On Avenue McGill College, halfway between Boulevard de Maisonnueve O and Rue Sainte-Catherine O, on the northeast side.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
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The "Illuminated Crowd" is an interesting public sculpture, made in 1985 by artist Raymond Mason from stratified polyester resin with polyurethane paint.
The plaque reads: "A crowd has gathered, facing the light, an illumination brought about by fire, an event, an ideology -- or an ideal. The strong light casts shadows, and as the light moves toward the back and diminishes, the mood degenerates; rowdiness, disorder and violence occur, showing the fragile nature of man. Illumination, hope, involvement, hilarity, irritation, fear, illness, violence, murder and death -- the flow of man's emotion through space."
Officially 314 x 860 x 320 cm or approx 10 x 28 x 10 feet, the figures are life-sized. About 12 people from front to back and 4 from side to side.
It's in a good location outside the main gate of McGill University, amidst several skyscrapers, with shops and restaurants nearby. In the short time I was there several people stopped for a look and/or a picture.
[Marv Solberg, 01/10/2008]Nearby Offbeat Places
La Lecon (The Lesson), Montreal, PQ, Canada - < 1 mi.
Barbie Museum, Montreal, PQ, Canada - < 1 mi.
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There's a lot of interesting mayhem in the back of the "Crowd," including a nude man collapsing backwards over a crawling man, a knife-wielding Klansman, and a smoke cloud from a cross or bomb.