The Dreamer, Bronze sculpture in Pettygrove Park, Portland, US
The Dreamer is a bronze sculpture in Pettygrove Park showing a reclining female figure in abstract form. The work rests on a geometric base positioned within a water pool.
The sculpture was created in 1979 by Manuel Izquierdo with funding from the Portland Development Commission. It was installed in the downtown park as part of a public art initiative at that time.
Izquierdo said the work "speaks of hope, of beauty and serenity, of love, and for a better life in our midst". The reclining figure is read as a modern river goddess, and the piece belongs to the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection, administered by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
The sculpture stands in a pool at Pettygrove Park, on Southwest 3rd Avenue between Market Street and Harrison Street in downtown Portland. The pool edge and surrounding paved paths let you walk around the work and view it from several sides. Rain falling on the bronze is part of the experience, so a wet day changes what you hear.
The interior of the bronze figure is filled with foam material that produces soft drum-like sounds when rain falls on the surface. This acoustic element surprises many visitors experiencing the work during rainfall.
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