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Lemonade
2010
Fiberglass, urethane paint, water, buckets,
horse trough and fountain mechanism
68 x 144 x 96 in (173 x 365¾ x 244 cm)
© Bill Kleiman
Lemonade, 2010
Aggressively fake, citrus-textured fiberglass wall and floor elements covered with anthropomorphic lemon tips, spurt fountain streams into what appear to be randomly chosen and placed water-catching buckets.
The lemon tips are arranged to suggest a descending gradient of citrus/human maturity, with newer, suppler lemon tips on top and overripe, distended ones below. The number of fountain streams and sheer visual weight of the sculpture suggest that it is on the verge of rupture and collapse, even though the piece is, upon inspection front and back, a very carefully planned and executed, conventional fountain.
A metaphorical play on the adage “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade,” the piece examines the sometimes contradictory human responses to life’s challenges, ranging from makeshift improvisation to careful planning and from a willing acceptance of illusion to a more sober assessment of reality.