Gesso Cocteau In the News
Bellevue Reporter - December 7th, 2005
You may not know her name, but if you live or work in Bellevue, you’ve probably seen her work. Gesso Cocteau is the artist who created Endless Celebration. The 51-foot cast bronze sculpture of two dancers that was commissioned by Kemper Freeman Jr. and recently installed at the corner of Northeast Eighth Street and Bellevue Way, in front of Bellevue Place. Cocteau, who is based in California, recently discussed her latest commission in an e-mail exchange with The Bellevue Reporter.
How did you come up with the concept for the sculpture?
The concept of this sculpture was intended to represent Bellevue. I wanted to create a subject of dialogue dedicated to bringing the community into the art. Without human interaction sculpture would be void, it would be empty of emotion. This piece of art was intended to reflect a strong community where people who live here can work hard and enjoy the good life.
Were there any particular feelings or ideas you were trying to evoke?
I like to play with balance, to investigate gravity and then to try and defy it with my sculptures. Endless Celebration is a fifty-one foot cast bronze weighing nearly three tons. So it is quite an adventurous approach to the use of balance, as one figure daringly holds the other up into the sky with trust and declares it's space quite boldly. The name Endless Celebration came from poetry and represents celebratory emotions, spirit of romanticism and joy. It implies balance between hard work and good lives.
What are some of the factors you look at when creating work for a public setting?
Well actually this was a privately funded work of art for public viewing and enjoyment. The difference between this sculpture and other sculptures was the size. Certainly I had to envision this piece before it was completed, since we did not have the luxury of working on it upright. I also had to keep in mind how this sculpture would be viewed from many different angles and distances. The maquette had already been approved by Kemper Freeman, Jr. so it was up to me to make sure the large size held true to the initial design and maquette.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Monumental Sculpture should represent emotions beyond words. It should engage the viewer in a private conversation. Each individual finding their own interpretation of what this sculpture means to them. Introducing sculpture to retail architecture reflects the humanity behind commerce and should help preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of a community
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