LEICA Barnack Berek Blog: A LEICA AT THE CAPONI ART PARK

Only a few people are familiar with a gem within the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the Caponi Art Park. It is located in the suburb of Eagan and is open daily from May through October.

In the 1950, the art park’s founder Anthony Capony, a professor of the arts at Macalester College in St. Paul, envisioned a public space where people could escape the stress of a fast-paced world and experience their connection with art and life in a natural setting.

For the next six decades Tony brought together his skills as an artist, educator, and environmentalist and embarked on a labor of love to create the Art Park. Since the late 1970s he was joined by his wife, Cheryl, who shared his passion and commitment for the project.

The 60-acre sculptured environment was created as a work of art in itself. The meandering trails follow the curves of the topography like contour drawings, retracted and animated by every person who walks on them. The rock walls and shaped hills are the sculpture into which conventional works of art are integrated.

The grounds are not merely a backup for art, but an integrated environment that adds to the experience of the programs and activities in the park. This intentional blending of man-made and natural beauty creates an atmosphere of openness and discovery that makes the arts approachable for everyone.

“Slow down and let your senses come into focus.

To be alive is a condition of having arrived.

Enjoy exploring the park and your deeper self.”

Anthony Caponi

"Walk in Outer Space"

1968

Corten steel, rebar, granite

Also the title photograph of this article

Caponi was inspired to create this piece by the first space walk when the astronauts were connected to the safety of the space capsule by only a thin umbilical cord. In this sculpture the umbilical cord wraps around a granite Earth that provides the source of life.While modern technology has removed the need for a physical connection while in space, our connection to Mother Earth remains unchanged.

"Monument to a Lumberjack"

1970

Saw Blades

When Caponi first purchased this land it was impassable due to all of the fallen trees. Before turning them into a sculpture, he used the two-person saw blades to clear the lawn and open up the woods.

"Cornerstone"

1971

Red granite

Cornerstone presents the duality of humankind - the intellectual progression from cuneiform letters to musical notes in Beethoven's 5th symphony to the mathematics of Einstein's equation on one side, to the organic natural forms that still resonate with our caveman nature on the other.

"Trinity"

1969

Field stone, railroad spikes

The rock has almost become a living thing and expresses the pain of being penetrated by the metal spikes.

"Dean Bryan"

1950

Hammered lead

"Skyroot"

1965

Recycled auto parts, stainless steel

This piece is finished with Caponi's characteristic textured surface that is created by using arc welding rods.

"Adam's Rib"

1957

Reinforced concrete

Caponi played with shapes as he molded this figure in clay. He later cast it in concrete, an experiment using material that he hoped would be an affordable and permanent material for Minnesota's harsh weather.

"Praying Mantis"

1967

Not your father's Cadillac

This sculpture was created out of 1960s era Cadillac car parts.

"Undertow"

1965

Welded steel

Even though Caponi covered the surface of this sculpture with 300 pounds of brass, he couldn't keep the steel underneath from rusting after 50 years of exposure to the elements. The metal has since become too brittle to be repaired. The sculpture was moved to a safer spot so it can continue aging in place.

"Lovers"

1967

Limestone

This sculpture is an abstraction on the concept of love and fertility.

"Nugget"

1986

2-ton granite boulder

Nugget is a good example of Caponi's use of stone where the exterior is left almost untouched as he seeks to discover the variations within the stone. The subject matter of the sculpture is the stone itself. Marks left by the tools have become an element of the design