"Shadow and Substance"
Michael Locascio

Gifted by
The Newington-Cropsey Foundation

THE GARDEN OF GREAT IDEAS

This sculpture attempts to convey the impression of two aspects of one personality. The conscious mind is represented in the top figure, crouching down to gaze at his mirror image, the unconscious mind. The conscious figure thrusts his arm into the "waters" to touch his reflection. This depicts the active process of contemplating identity in an attempt to achieve self-knowledge. His other arm is pulled behind him to illustrate how he is bound by the limits of the mortal brain. Similarly, the unconscious figure is distorted like a rippling reflection because of the boundaries to self-knowledge.