RJ Rosegarten
Artist Statement: R J Rosegarten – “The Audience Awaits”
When I visited the Marine Stadium three years ago, loneliness and quiet dominated. Only a whisper or wind greeted my ears. After twenty years of neglect, graffiti—some stylish, bizarre, faded, and malicious—covered the stadium seats and walls where one enthusiastic spectators came to cheer rock stars, classical musicians, dancers and political figures. This once vital edifice cried out for restoration and human contact.
Last summer I learned that this incredible structure was moving toward being restored. And, as part of, the National Trust for Historic Preservation asked artists to create sculptures using the old stadium seats. I knew immediately that this was my chance to visually capture the excitement and the drama of stadium events, a chance to capture the sounds of people singing, clapping, and shouting. “The Audience Awaits” was created with this in mind.