Created in 2003
Steel, 44 cm x 17 cm x 118 cm
Collection of the Kari Huhtamo Art Foundation
Kari Huhtamo: Luna Polaris
”Look at the moon, look at the sea…”
Kari Huhtamo’s sculptures are often inspired by nature observations and the images they bring to mind. It is easy to imagine that Luna Polaris has its roots in the famous Italian song “Guarda che Luna”, as well as visions of full moon lighting the frozen northern night.
As is typical of Huhtamo’s art, the composition of Luna Polaris reduces the message to its essence. First, the steel sheet is curved diagonally, and then cut to oval shape. When you look at the work, the undulations create reflections that vary depending on your viewing angle and are easily interpreted as shreds of clouds floating across the moon. The vertical cut dividing the oval could be a reference to a face or a profile, something humans have seen in the “silvery” surface of the most familiar of heavenly bodies since time immemorial.