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All the United States Georgia Atlanta 54 Columns
AO Edited

54 Columns

Atlanta's strange assortment of concrete pillars inspires reflection in some, confusion in others.

Atlanta, Georgia

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TJ Muehleman
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54 Columns by Sol LeWitt   Fulton County Arts
54 Columns by Sol LeWitt   Fulton County Arts
A view of 54 columns in the fall   tjmuehleman / Atlas Obscura User
The controversial structure has been in the city since 1999.   Map Data © 2017 Google
  AdventureBro / Atlas Obscura User
  AdventureBro / Atlas Obscura User
A nearby sign explains the background of the columns.   AdventureBro / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
54 Columns in Portrait   joylucente / Atlas Obscura User
  mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
  mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
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About

However you see it, the often-overlooked installation created by famed artist Sol LeWitt in Atlanta's historic Old Fourth Ward is a conversation starter. The public art piece "54 Columns" has been causing controversy since it was installed in the neighborhood in 1999 as Fulton County's first piece of commissioned public art.

Some have wondered if the 54 concrete columns are there as a shell for a forthcoming structure, or the remnants of an already destroyed building. Some think the minimalist construction strains the boundaries of what we should consider art. Others admire the piece for the way the viewer can interact with it, moving in and out of the large columns. 

The structure is built out of 54 concrete columns ranging in height from 10 to 20 feet. LeWitt envisioned the work as a nod to the city's urban surroundings (hence his use of an industrial material like concrete) and to Atlanta's skyline (from a distance, the work takes on the appearance of a cityscape). The piece combines industrial elements with a more abstract representation to create what Gregor Turk, the county's public art coordinator at the time, called “simultaneously lowbrow and highbrow.”

Those who aren't fans of the minimalist structure have made their objections known in a few ways. In 2003, neighbors who thought the concrete pillars weren't exactly the look the neighborhood needed planted dogwood trees among the columns to cover up the view. The trees were removed after the city ruled "the trees spoiled the sanctity of LeWitt's installation." And in 2005, one of the structure's columns was painted with bright pink latex paint.

The work has inspired dance performances, photo shoots, and, well, derision through the years. But as Charles Taylor, whose family donated the land and financed the structure's construction, noted in an interview about the piece, "Good public art creates some controversy." 

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Parks Sculptures Art Public Art Sol Lewitt Industrial Installations

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Located at the intersection of Glen Iris Drive NE and Highland Avenue NE. The closest MARTA station is King Memorial.

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tjmuehleman

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Mom0ja, paigemindsthegap, Ashawnta, Collector of Experiences...

  • Mom0ja
  • paigemindsthegap
  • Ashawnta
  • Collector of Experiences
  • joylucente
  • mocchiatto
  • AdventureBro

Published

October 31, 2017

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Sources
  • https://paigemindsthegap.com/54-columns/
  • http://www.freedompark.org/fpc/art/54-columns/
  • http://www.creativeloafing.com/news/article/13022316/public-sculpture-a-canvas-for-conceptual-vandalism
  • http://www.creativeloafing.com/news/article/13011325/public-art-public-outcry
54 Columns
Glen Iris Dr
Atlanta, Georgia, 30312
United States
33.76155, -84.367513
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