While walking to class this morning (yes, the very morning that you are reading this article), I was pondering the significance of the Psi quantum wave equation to God’s existence when I came across the imposing figure of “Vista for a Rare Spirit,” a prominent statue on campus.

(At left: Students like Meghan from Yale make pilgrimage to USC to bask in the glory of our “Vista” )

It had occurred to me that I had never given the statue much thought, and realized later that it was because I had never seen it before.  It turns out that “Vista” was recently moved by USC, switching places with another statue titled “Gregor Piatigorsky” at Ramo Music Hall.  Pondering the statue some more, I found that something about it really struck me.  Unable to decipher what it was, and shoved in the back with the barrel of the gun of curiosity, I pursued the statue against my will.

So when officials made the decision to switch two of USC’s most prized and beloved sculptures, you know it was not made in haste.  Along with its heritage, each statue was custom-tailored to its location.  “Vista’s” creator specified its location at Ramo Hall because, as the submission quotes, it “should serve to provide musicians with a view into a window of hope, set against the dreary blank façade of a building.”  And anyone with aesthetic sense can tell you that tall, flesh-colored objects are most accented against the plain white canvas of a giant white wall.

As for Piatigorsky, its designer simply wanted it unseen.  Hence why the administration decided to place it against the other side of Ramo, where no body would bother walking (the statue was flanked by all sides by 10 meters or more of grass).  As a result, Gregor has never had any particular value to students, and most have found him creepy.

But tastes change.  In a campus-wide poll by Student Senate, participant were asked to rank Piatigorsky one to ten in terms of general awesomeness.  Investigators found that Petrousky’s popularity has grown a whopping 450% over the last five years.  As the Senate’s most successful endeavor ever, this poll speaks to Gregor’s exploding appeal to USC students.

	Above: Chart notes: If you’ll notice, Student Senate’s data suggests that during winter 2002-2003, Gregor’s awesomeness actually exceeded the scale!  Incredible!

Why? you may ask.  “The answer simple,” says Fabian Ricard, a business major at USC.  “Students can increasingly identify with Gregor Piatigorsky.  As demands in the work-world increase, we look at him as a roll model, paving the way to future success.”

Gregor now sits gallantly behind the music bench at Ramo (where “Spirit” used to stand), forever breathing down the shoulders of music students, inspiring them to learn.  And “Vista!”  Who can deny that statue its present glory?  Standing erect, soaring above students heads as they pass by… All I can say is, “Good for you, USC!”  And to our beloved statues, “Fight on!”

Comments

Great Info Written by Guest on 2004-03-26 10:46:22 I've been looking online for information about USC sculputres and public art, like fountians and reliefs on buildings, on and off all semester, this is a great recource for the two sculptures that I see most often (considering I work next door). I just wanted to complement this article and its writer for being interesting and informative.

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