For many years the German artist Christel Lechner has been working on a series of engaging sculptures entitled “Ordinary People”. The life-size concrete constructions depict normal people partaking in simple activities, from bathing and dancing, to just sitting around at a bus stop or in the park. The statues have been installed as public art in real world settings at various nondescript outdoor locations.
Lechner created this work, "Frauengruppe Langenhagen", in 2009.
Lechner is a well-known artist who is based in Witten; she is quite skilled at capturing the unique essence of regular folks that you might pass on the street. Some critics dismiss the art as irrelevant “kitsch”, but I find the work reflects our human experience, while still being insightful, funny and powerful.
I have spent a fair amount of time in Germany, as we often visit our many relatives there; to me Lechner’s statues brilliantly convey the culture, nuanced aesthetics and idiosyncratic behavior that one often encounters in that European nation. A few of the sculptures even bear a striking physical resemblance to some of my in-laws.
Here are more photos from a recent art installation Lechner created at Maximilian Park in Hamm, Germany:
About Rhonda Winter
