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PUBLIC ART:
A GUIDE TO FREE-STANDING SCULPTURE

"HUMAGINATION"

In 1979 a self-taught sculptor by the name of Adrien Francescutti, who considers himself "a Maritimer by transplant," was living above office space owned by DPA, a Halifax consulting firm. Also living nearby was a contractor hired by DPA to undertake renovations to their building, a portion of which involved the structural redesign of their outside granite staircase. Knowing Mr. Francescutti to be particularly interested in stone, the contractor offered the sculptor the pieces of granite left over from the redesign. Having only limited studio space available to him, Mr. Francescutti was able to persuade DPA that, in return for the necessary tools, the sculptor would create a piece of "Public Art" to grace the area in front of the company premises.

The sculpture took shape over a three-month period beginning in the spring of 1979. As it became increasingly evident that regular passerbys were taking an avid interest in the daily evolution of the piece, Mr. Francescutti (or "mad dog," as he had by then come to be called) decided to hold an informal contest called "name this rock." From the nearly 75 responses received, the winner was discovered to be Walley Greasley, who at the time happened to be the sculptor's roommate. That notwithstanding, Mr. Francescutti felt that "Humagination" ("human" + "imagination") suitably captured the manner in which the piece evolved.

It is perhaps worth mentioning that, on the evening when the sculpture was finally declared to be complete, an impromptu celebration was held on the sidewalk nearby with many of the passerbys who had witnessed its creation in attendance. The bottle of champagne officially presented to the winner of the "name the rock" competition was joined by bottles of lesser quality spirits and the sculpture was "toasted" with the music of fiddles (also brought by friends and passerbys) playing in the background. Fittingly then, a plaque (paid for by DPA) was later attached to the stone, which reads: "Humagination by mad dog. Commissioned by DPA. Special thanks to the people on the street (1979)."

For more about Mr. Francescutti and his art, see "Orzo."

Public Art Brochure: List of Contents