We mentioned Isamu Noguchi’s piece, Black Sun, in a prior post and we’d like to take a minute and wax poetic about one of our favorite pieces of public art in Seattle.

In 1969, Noguchi rendered a 9 foot wide piece of black Brazilian granite as part of a public arts initiative that brought Seattle its first commission from the National Endowment for the Arts.  Made to reflect the organic forms found in nature, Black Sun has acquired many admirers of its stark beauty.

At rest in front of the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park, Noguchi’s work frames an iconic view of Seattle’s Space Needle, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains.  If you happen to be lucky enough to be in Seattle with blue skies above, collect your favorite picnic wares and a lovely guest to enjoy them with, and make your way up to this spot just before twilight for a real treat.

Add an old school boom box and Soundgarden’s ‘Black Hole Sun’ and you may just fulfill Noguchi’s intentions for the piece: “I want it to be a meeting place and I can see young people gathering around it, making music.” We’re still waiting to hear from Chris if Black Sun did indeed inspire his famous dirge of the (almost) same name.

XOX,

The Matisse Twins

photo credit: Richard Chung