St. Charles, Illinois: Sculpture with Puns
A sculpture by artist Jim Jenkins titled "Read Them Like a Book" consists of metal human silhouettes filled with word and symbol puns: the symbol for Pi is in the stomach, etc.
- Address:
- S. 5th Ave., St. Charles, IL
- Directions:
- In front of the St. Charles Public Library. The statue is on the east side of Hwy 25/S. 5th Ave. just south of its intersection with Hwy 64/E. Main St.
- Admission:
- Free
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"Read Them Like a Book" is a sculpture created by local artist James Jenkins; it consists of two side-by-side stylized human figures made from thick sheets of polished stainless steel. Cut out of the figures are various inspiring and funny "inscriptions." Since I'm a low-brow sort of guy, I like the puns. For example, H2O is on one knee ("water on the knee"), the mathematical symbol for Pi is in the tummy (because that's where pie ends up when you eat it), and the word "NOTE" is on a foot ("footnote").
My favorite is the chemical element symbol "Pb" on a posterior -- the sculpture obviously needs to "get the lead out" but that'll be difficult because stainless steel doesn't contain appreciable amounts of lead.
[John Takao Collier, 04/25/2014]Nearby Offbeat Places
Humpty Dumpty in Art Park, St. Charles, IL - < 1 mi.
Easy Chair Grave, Geneva, IL - 1 mi.
1893 World's Fair Viking Ship, Geneva, IL - 2 mi.Latest Tips Across Roadside America
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