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Canadian Urbanism Uncovered

Photo du jour: The Illuminated Crowd by Raymond Mason

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The Illuminated Crowd by Raymond Mason

Location: Avenue McGill College
Date of photo: November 30 2013
Photographer: Martin New at Montreal in Pictures

Created in 1985 by Franco-British artist, Raymond Mason, this unique public sculpture is made from stratified polyester resin with polyurethane paint.

The Illuminated Crowd (La Foule Illuminée) is a sculpture consisting of 65 people of all ages, race, facial expressions and conditions, depicted on four platforms. The sculpture illustrates the degradation of the human race and symbolizes the fragility of the human condition.

The plaque at the base of the sculpture 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.”

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