"Freedom"
by Jon Kayser
Webster City, Iowa
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Artist Statement:
In early 2011, when the fight to overthrow Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, was just beginning to gain momentum, one of the Libyan rebel leaders was asked by a reporter why he was so out front and visible in their fight for freedom. His answer included the following: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” Within hours after that interview, Gaddafi’s men sought him out and executed him for his defiant sentiment.
This copper hand, holding a solar-lit candle, signifies the struggle that men and women have gone through (and continue to go through) in their effort to achieve freedom. The fingers of the hand are appropriately spaced in order to convey a light grip (not a death grip) on the candle, signifying hope, reverence, dedication, and commitment to the cause of freedom.
Throughout the ages, humans have yearned, fought, and died for the cause of freedom. Unfortunately, freedom remains elusive in many parts of the world, but that struggle will continue as long as individuals are willing to put their life on the line. My sculpture is dedicated to veterans of all generations and all people around the world, who “light a candle” to illuminate their cause to the rest of mankind