Ideals, Bronze sculpture in Lloyd District, Portland, US
Ideals is a bronze sculpture in the Lloyd District depicting a female figure draped in flowing garments. The roughly six feet tall statue appears fully clothed but contains no actual human form inside.
Artist Muriel Castanis created the sculpture in 1992 as part of a public art initiative for state buildings. The work emerged during a period when public installations began enriching the architecture of modern administrative structures.
The figure embodies hope through its upright stance and flowing drapery that suggests movement without containing a physical presence. Visitors notice the subtle emptiness within, turning the work into a meditation on invisible forces.
The sculpture sits at the northwest corner of the State Office Building on Northeast Oregon Street and is easy to approach from outside. Small lights at its base illuminate the work and keep it visible throughout the day and night.
The artwork weighs approximately 850 pounds and has developed a green patina that reveals its age and weathering. This coloring emerged through natural oxidation of the bronze material over the decades.
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