A Stroll through sculpture: discovering public art in Provence

For centuries, the picturesque village of Lacoste in Provence has drawn artists to its natural beauty and tranquility. Creative luminaries like Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso were all inspired by Lacoste's rolling landscapes and lavender fields. For over 20 years now, the village has also been home to the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) campus, nestled amidst the idyllic scenery.

As a leader in art and design education with a vibrant European presence, SCAD Lacoste is celebrating its 20th anniversary by debuting the Promenade de Sculptures. This compelling new outdoor sculpture trail features 10 large-scale works representing the talent and vision of elite SCAD artists. Curated by SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace and COO Glenn Wallace, and organized by SCAD Museum of Art Curator Ben Tollefson, the pieces pay homage to the magic of the surrounding Luberon Valley.

The selected artists hail from diverse backgrounds within SCAD's top-ranked programs in fields like industrial design, graphic design, painting, fibers, fashion and animation. They were moved to create after experiencing Lacoste firsthand as students, faculty or through alumni enrichment programs. Together, the Promenade de Sculptures collection embodies 20 years of creativity and innovation at SCAD's tranquil European home, while also preserving the natural beauty and history of artistic inspiration that defines Lacoste.

For his piece in the Promenade de Sculptures, artist Archer drew inspiration from the ancient Greek sculpture known as the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Titled "En Plein Air", the bronze figure strives for a balance reminiscent of this famous work - between beauty and endurance, solidity and impermanence. These qualities reflect those found in the enduring yet ethereal medieval architecture woven into the landscape of southern France. Standing over seven feet tall, the figure is cast in place with its gaze directed over the rolling countryside, as if pondering the interplay between transient aesthetics and lasting structures that have defined this region across centuries.

Esteemed SCAD alumna Ashley Benton (B.F.A in Painting, 1990) drew inspiration for her sculpture during a return to Lacoste as an ambassador for the prestigious 2019 SCAD Alumni Atelier program. It was on this visit that she began creating a new series of smaller works featuring hybrid human-animal forms. Expanding the scale of those pieces, Benton's sculpture for the Promenade de Sculptures collection is her largest work to date. Titled "When they asked her 'why?', Odile thought about it and replied, 'why not?', and the lock on her heart opened," the intriguing bronze piece represents Benton further developing her exploration of blended figural forms that first emerged during her enriching time spent in Lacoste through the Alumni Atelier.

Milan Bhullar, originally from Pune, India, is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Furniture Design at SCAD. Her piece, "Transfiguration," grew out of an concept she explored in a class. Composed of five stacked stainless steel monoliths of varying sizes and hues, "Transfiguration" invites introspection and retrospection as viewers gaze upon their shifting reflections in the faceted structure, set against the sprawling landscape of Lacoste in the background. Originally from India, Bhullar has developed this meditation on perspective through the prismatic forms during her graduate studies at SCAD. 

Bradley L. Bowers' sculpture "Ooma" reflects on humanity's enduring need for contemplation, offering respite from our frenzied digital world. With its gently curved, double-shelled dome shape referencing historic architecture but employing state-of-the-art 3D bioplastic printing techniques, "Ooma" provides a meditative space. Its intricate latticed exterior creates a permeable boundary, bringing the expansive views of the surrounding Luberon Valley into contrast with the intimate interiority and solace the form offers its inhabitants. An alumnus of SCAD's prestigious industrial design and furniture design programs (M.A. 2012, B.F.A. 2010), Bowers continues to amaze with his ability to meaningfully synthesize artistic vision, advanced technologies, and timeless human truths through his work for the Promenade de Sculptures.

In "Nuance in Repetition," Justin Zielke (M.F.A. Animation, 2017) continues his exploration of translating the human form through both realistic and abstract interpretations. For the Promenade de Sculptures, Zielke employed traditional bronze casting as well as digital techniques to create a life-sized bust exemplifying his interest in the creative process and its relationship to personal identity. Through exaggerated gestural marks rendered at a grand scale, the piece straddles familiarity and the unknown.

Together, the individual sculptures represent something greater when experienced in their permanent installation within the natural setting.