I See What You Mean (Argent)

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I See What You Mean
I See What You Mean LCCN2015633445.jpg
I See What You Mean (Argent)
Artist Lawrence Argent
Year2005 (2005) [1]
Location Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Coordinates 39°44′37″N104°59′43″W / 39.7436°N 104.9953°W / 39.7436; -104.9953

I See What You Mean, also known as the "Big Blue Bear", is a 40-foot-tall sculpture of a blue bear by Lawrence Argent, installed outside the Colorado Convention Center, in Denver. [2] [3] The piece was installed at a cost of US $424,400, and was immediately popular with both the public and art community. [1]

Contents

Background

Installed in 2005 [4] , I See What You Mean was installed outside of the Colorado Convention Center as a contribution to The Denver Public Art Program. [5] Sculpted by visual artist Lawrence Argent, the structure is clad in polymer-concrete and depicts an American black bear standing on its hind legs, peering into the Convention Center's lobby.

Argent's decision to sculpt a bear was based on the wildlife native to the Rocky Mountains. The black bear is the only species of bear currently found in the mountain range, and are seen by many as a symbol of the region. Argent was inspired specifically by a newspaper photo of a bear peering through someone's window, [6] which he states "resonated with [him]."

The blue color, which has piqued the interest of tourists and Denver citizens alike [7] , was not Argent's original intent. The plan was for the bear to reflect natural colors of the region, such as sandstone, [7] but a mockup of the sculpture was printed in blue and he felt that it was more striking than the original. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 MacMillan, Kyle (July 20, 2005). "The artist beneath it all". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Top Bizarre Statues Or Public Art In Denver". October 1, 2012. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  3. ↑ Bohlen, Teague (March 30, 2016). "Ten Most Controversial Pieces of Public Art in Denver". Westword. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Denver's Blue Bear | An Interview with Lawrence Argent". www.denver.org. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Public Art". Colorado Convention Center. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Denver's Blue Bear | An Interview with Lawrence Argent". www.denver.org. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  7. 1 2 McKee, Spencer (January 23, 2018). "What's Really Up with Denver's Big Blue Bear?". OutThere Colorado. Retrieved March 10, 2025.

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