and she said.. "how you interpret the dream is probably more important than the dream itself"

Just to get that horrid picture off the top of this page, and also to take advantage of new traffic that is trickling in from Jaime's link, here are some more pictures of Vigeland Park.

As usual, you should click on the pictures to see the full sized versions. I think they look a lot better that way, if you're so inclined and such.

This photo is part of the fountain, which is some of the oldest work of Vigeland in the park. Initially sketched up in plaster, it was commissioned by the city of Oslo for the front of the Parliament. However, it ended up in bronze in the Frogner fields. Sadly, I'm an idiot and didn't manage to get that damn tree in the lower right hand corner out of the way enough to crop it, but not the foot, off.

The main thoroughfare of the park leads you from the main gates through a grass mall of sorts, over a small bridge, and up a number of shallow stairways. The final steps up to the Monolith (the central culmination of the park) are barred by some very unique iron doors, as seen in this picture.

The shadows cast by the wrought iron doors were fantastic. In the background to the right, the farthest away, you can see the mall (lawn: brown) with the bridge to the forefront of that (the large cement area, with statues to the left and right). The fountain is yet closer, the center of which is bronze people in a circle holding up a bowl.

The sun was low in the sky by the time we got to the Monolith so I was able to get this fun candlestick photo, outlining the piece. Not surprising, given the name, the Monolith was carved from a single piece of granite. That must have been huge. It took three stone carvers 14 years to finish the work.

All the silhouettes of "people" that can be seen at the base are stone statues of the type coming up (and of the type found two posts below).

Vigeland was obviously into people because that is almost 100% of the subject matter in the park. As you get close to the Monolith it becomes quickly apparent that it is no different. It is basically a writhing slithering mass of people, intertwined together like a pile of water moccasins or other slimey creature. It seems to be announcing in some silent stone way that we are all, in the end, down in it; in the mud; the muck of everyday life. Somehow this is okay?

The final images impart a certain sense of serenity about the whole ordeal.

On Family, this one could be called. Or something similar. The official website suggests that the dramatic theme of the entire park is: Man's journey from cradle to grave, through happiness and grief, through fantasy, hope and wishes of eternity.

No doubt, none of us want to be ridden like a beast of burden but somehow, in this case, I think it's implied that there is some amount of acceptance in one's position here. So the mom is a mule to her two children. I suspect she is okay with that.

This is one of my favourite photos. There seemed to be no problems with children climbing on the statues and, in fact, it was perhaps encouraged. This girl seemed to enjoy herself, anyway.

One last iron gate. It is worth mentioning that there is a subtle but strong will imparted by the father on the son, with his fist nestled up underneath his chin. Protection, certainly, but also a vague warning. This was pointed out to me by my Norwegian friend. I got the sense that there is the slightest hint of an underlying communism (truly, for a lack of a better term) in Norway and it is either mostly repressed or only dangerous on the very fringes, like a wolf at the edge of the forest-fire light.