Ascension

Description

Ascension is the center piece of the Freedom Cornerstone and deals with the subject of freedom and what that means to the artist, Radcliffe Bailey. It also acknowledges and honors the role that Greensboro played in the national civil rights movement, with its local Sit-In Movement. The form of the sculpture references travel taken by Bailey and his family from the South to places throughout the east coast by train. The artist’s father was a railroad engineer, so trains and travel have impacted his identity both as a person and as an artist. Bailey’s own life experiences have inspired him to reflect upon the travels of those escaping slavery using the Underground Railroad and their migration towards freedom. By moving at night and using the stars as a means of mapping, those who followed the North Star were able to access paths to new lives. Three different shapes can be seen in this work. First, a railroad track turned skyward, transforming itself into a ladder pointing towards ascension; second, an illuminated star; and third, the hull of a ship that has been dry-docked. These shapes recall the journeys of Bailey’s ancestors, and also speak to a universal journey towards freedom. The surrounding site features pathways in the shape of a Dogon Ladder, commonly used by the Dogon people of Mali, not only to access features in their homes but also to connect with their ancestors. Cross-paths include embedded shells referencing tabby, a material often used when constructing slave cabins in the South.