Ken Hiratsuka doesn't just leave his mark upon stone; he seems to transform it from something hard and impersonal to something softer and more meaningful.
His work at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, part of the "From Street to Studio" exhibit there, caught my eye; it totally enthralled me the first time I saw it, and it has moved me every time I've seen it since.
So it was with great interest that I watched Hiratsuka work Thursday and Friday, carving a pattern into the granite sidewalk on Elliot Street right outside of Boomerang.
The first thing I noticed was how hard the work was. Hiratsuka would pound a few strokes with hammer and chisel, inching the design along mere inches, before stopping to catch his breath and reflect on the work.
It was interesting to see people's reactions to it. Some would walk past with a confused look, some would politely step around it, some would walk right over it, and some would stop and ask questions about it (Hiratsuka would answer graciously, but he's very soft-spoken while he's working in.
The end result is a neat work of art that will be on Brattleboro's street for all to enjoy for a long time.
That Hiratsuka was able to do this is being heralded as a significant step in collaboration between the town and its arts community. Scot Borofsky, a local son and one of the artists featured in "From Street Studio" has long been an advocate of public art, and he praised town officials and other players for being so agreeable to the project. What's next?
Maybe if we put up a large nude sculpture somewhere, people would lose the urge to go naked themselves. Or not?