Michigan Landscapes

Sculptor Sergio DeGiusti combined his interpretation of Michigan's natural beauty with a commentary on modern American life in his 20-panel bas relief Michigan Landscapes.

"This work is an expression of what I see in our state and our society," DeGiusti says. "Like a Rorschach inkblot test, the work intends to allow viewers free association in deciding what they see."

Displayed in four recessed seating areas around the Center's rotunda, some of the panels depict Michigan's topography through three dimensional forms and shapes that suggest an aerial view of barns, farm fields, lakes and sand dunes. Others communicate the artist's view of the turmoil inherent in contemporary society. Victims of violence are portrayed as shrouded figures symbolizing psychological death.

"I tried to convey a baroque romanticism, a play of shapes representative of what I do as an artist without being obvious about it,” he says. “I didn't show much detail because the interpretation has to be a personal one."