Brilliant Balancing Act!

Well now, who (what!) do we have here?  Why, it appears as if someone is a rather brave (or crazy) soul, doesn’t it? The first time I saw this ‘art’ I was taken aback.  From a distance it certainly seems that someone has clearly went out on a limb.  However, after ‘steadying’ myself for a moment, I realized it’s not a thrill seeker at all; why, it’s a piece of art!

Here is a closer look so you can have a better gaze at this startling steep-walker:

This begs the question, “Why?” Ah, I have an interesting answer to this pondering!  In the name of public art, the City of Evanston, Illinois placed this spunky silhouette on top of this building (there is a similar statue balancing its steel frame at the other end of ‘the beam’).  The art, entitled, “Encounter” shows the two figures purportedly walking toward each other on a plank.  The meaning behind this is to exemplify people from different backgrounds and cultures coming together as what occurs in ‘real’ life; we encounter each other while walking along the sidewalk, going out for dinner, or perhaps taking in a movie.

They say (whoever, “they” are!) that art imitates life; let me be clear about this.  You will never, EVER catch me up on a rooftop beam balancing myself in a flying Wallenda-style maneuver!  What about you?