Review

"Standing Couple," Bronze.

Larry Young
Standing Couple

8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
8909 W. 179th St.
Overland Park, KS
913.685.3604

Hours: 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m., April 10-Sept. 30, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 1-April 9, open daily except Christmas
Permanent installation.

Artist's site: http://www.youngsculpture.com
Gallery site: http://www.opkansas.org/_Vis/Arboretum/index.cfm

It's the kind of beautiful Labor Day where  you'd rather be at the park than on the computer, I'm sure ... but as long as you're headed outside today, why not check out the work of a prolific and talented abstract sculptor while you're at it?

Disclaimers up front, as ever: If you go looking for a big white house as a reference point to find Larry Young's Standing Couple, you're going to be looking for a long time. The photo above was taken before the monumental bronze was moved to its permanent home in the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

It's equally beautiful in its current location, though ... and fitting that the sculpture stands near a pond, because it echoes the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan. (That sneaky, sneaky Zeus!)

Young, a former Olympic race walker (and the only American ever to medal in that event), writes that he is fascinated by human movement in dance and athletics and by the themes and compositional intensity of classical art.

It shows. Standing Couple is infused with sinuous, sensuous, balletic grace. It might not be a "representational" work, but it definitely gets its visual points across, and conveys Young's vision with simple elegance.

And the best thing is, you can take all of it in and still enjoy time off on a beautiful almost-fall day.

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