The Slide sculpture by John Dowie

[BarbTherese]

The above sculpture by John Dowie 1977 was once directly out the front of Pauline Media in Rundle Mall, Adelaide, Sth Australia.  Apparently it is meant to depict a girl on a slippery-dip or slide.  To my memory going back 40 years ago (not too reliable hence) Pauline Media shifted not all that long after the sculpture was located outside their store.

"It was designed in response to a request by the architect of Rundle Mall, Ian Hannaford, for a ‘discovery piece’ that is 'inconspicuous from a distance, then come upon by chance'." http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/things/the-slide

What do you make of it?  What do you see when you first see it - and what do you see when you pause and gaze at it.
The 'girl' was facing Pauline Books & Media, who later shifted their store around the corner into Hindmarsh Square. I am relatively confident that there was never any title on the sculpture.  I had to research today to discover an image in order to find out the title of the sculpture and the story behind it, which is minimal.   For some reason the memory of "The Slide" came back to mind.

I absolutely loathed it always - I hated it with an absolute will.  It brought an unhappy memory by association.

If you are ever in Adelaide, Pauline Books and Media have an absolutely beautiful and very quiet and serene small chapel in their basement display area in their store.  Not only can you browse books and Catholic items including statues etc., but you can pay a visit in the only Catholic Chapel in the centre of the main shopping mall in Adelaide.

Meanwhile, what do you make of the sculpture?

Note (edit feature timed out).  The above sentence should read "It brought BACK an unhappy memory by association".

 

ART IN ADELAIDE WEBSITE  (art works around Adelaide Sth Aust)

Edited June 2, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

 

Looking over the Art in Adelaide website, I came across some art works (quite a few) depicting nuns.  I especially liked this one by Perry Snodgrass in the "Whimsical Nuns Exhibition":

Singing Off Notes  I liked the way the holy and rather ghostly type image behind Sister seems to be blocking his ears

This one brought back memories and a happy giggle Mother and Minders

The website does not allow copy and paste.

[Pax17]

Barb, my immediate reaction was "Meh."  You catch the "movement" of the figure and that's about it...the sculpture doesn't really engage you further.  Of course, there's the issue of the girl sliding down in a rather unlady-like position....:)

Personally, I think most public sculpture should be located in a sculpture park designed for the purpose...not on the sidewalk in a shopping area.

[Era Might]

At first glance I just get a carefree impression, a girl amusing herself. But, in a longer look, she seems sad, like she's not sliding but falling, her face is down and she's on an awkward angle.

Compare with the "fearless girl" statue staring down the Wall Street bull in New York, very definite face and expression.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Era Might

[Jubilate Deo]

I think the pigtails look like horns, personally.

[Guest]

Thank you for your impressions. 

I thought it was a horrible sculpture directly out the front of a Catholic bookshop, let alone anywhere else.  There is nothing whatsoever appealing about it to me no matter where it is placed.  Seeing it in reality, I did not realise that the pigtails were pigtails, they looked like horns to me too - until I posted the image into this thread and had a close lingering look with the advantage of knowing the title of the sculpture and realised the horns were actually pigtails.  The girl does not look happy, she looks unhappy as if she had been pushed down the slide -  or even pushed from above onto the slide.

As I said initially, I am confident there was no title on the sculpture (nor the name of artist) when it was located in Rundle Mall. 

I hated it and still do.  For me there is nothing appealing about it, quite the opposite.  It arouses in me a restless feeling, disquiet.

Sad to me because John Dowie has done some truly excellent and appealing work.

 

[dominicansoul]

I don't like it, nor do i like the so - called fearless girl.  Isn't there some rule where one's art shouldn't meet interference by another artist's art?  The bull is majestic and cool, but you can't appreciate it with that annoying girl standing there now.

 

The sliding girl is just annoying as well.  

[Makarioi]

I think the slide sculpture is hideous and it seems a bit devilish to me.  Perhaps there's a hidden meaning for it to be in front of a Catholic bookstore .  I read that the girl placed in front of the Wall Street bull will be removed in Feb 2018.