Day 72 - Statuesque

 Statuesque 

Matthew Ryan Fischer

 

Richard could not look away.

The statue, worn and expressionless, stared down with deep sunken eye sockets, shadows covered what might have been designed to seem like eyes gazing.

Richard felt there must be some deeper meaning.

It was a private estate and featured the largest assortment of statues and sculptures in a dozen states. Richard’s step-father had been a financial advisor and the family had vacationed here often enough. Richard could remember running through the fields as a child, hiding from adults, writing stories in his head about the artwork here. He hadn’t appreciated it then, but as he grew older and understood their value, he began to see them in a whole new light. Having failed to take after his father, his step-father was proud by the developments. Richard had studied statistics and economics and was well situated to continue the family business.

Richard looked for something hidden. Lost in the search. Lost in the assumption that there must be some meaning of some sort.

The statue was a cypher, an absence, the lack of facial features and meaning, meant anyone could assign whatever they wanted to it.

Richard’s life had meant little; therefore, he was desperate to find some here. Someone had made this. Someone had bought it and shipped in and stored it and displayed it. Countless numbers had walked past and admired it. Richard didn’t fully understand art, but he understood it had value and people were supposed to find meaning and solace in it. A large number of people and a large amount of money had decided this statue was worthy of both, and so he became obsessed with trying to determine why.

The statue stared back, down into the lost crevice that should have been Richard’s soul. The shadowed pits that should have been eyes grew darker. Richard hardly seemed to notice. The statue had desires of its own. Richard wanted meaning; the statue wanted life.

Richard stared and could not look away. His body grew stiff. He could hardly tell he was frozen as the statue began to move.