It's rare for living artists to be compared to the greats. Yet a Philadelphia-based sculptor has been given such an honor. WRTI's Jim Cotter reports on the man who brought "freedom" to the world.
He calls himself a philosopher working in clay, and humanist beliefs are writ large in the creations of Zenos Frudakis. Most especially in his sculpture "Break Through Your Mold" or "Freedom" in Center City, Philadelphia which has been cited as one of the world's top-ten public art worksin a national Sunday newspaper in Britain, The Independent.
The Independent on Sunday's "Top Ten: Public Art" list was created by a group of art critics, with input from members of the public and includes such iconic works as Michelangelo's David and The Statue of Liberty. "Freedom," unveiled in 2001, depicts a human figure evolving and emerging from cocoon-like beginnings in a wall until three iterations later it runs free, arms aloft across the sidewalk.
Frudakis' latest work "Knowledge is Power" has just been unveiled at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. He says given the chance, he would love to create another version of "Freedom." Meantime, the original can be seen at 16th and Vine Streets in Philadelphia. Take a look at the "25 most-amazing sculptures around the world" from the Wonderful Engineering website.