The Scyther
By Daniel Ingebrigtson, Installed 2018
“The Scyther” was originally made for the agriculturally themed sculpture trail in Oregon, Illinois. I had wanted to do something that would recall an earlier period of life on the farm. Looking for viusal references, I came across a picture of a man scything in a field. The scythe caught my eye with its curving lines in the shaft and blade. It reminded me of my grandparent’s farm where many of their hand tools were from vintage bygone days and where I had seen them being used. Drawing inspiration form those memories of the farm and from my later experience, having used my own scythe around the yard and garden, I tried to capture that action in the sculpture. My work is mostly representational and sculpted in a realistic style. My subject matter is varied. It is gratifying when someone finds the same pleasure in looking at a sculpture as I did in creating it. When the viewer senses a connection with a piece, it is at that instant I consider the work to be a success. For me this connection is the main purpose in creating a sculpture.
