Pre-Apocalyptic Art Found in Portland State Ruins

Found buried in the ancient ruins of Neuberger Hall, miraculously in perfect condition, this 3-dimensional sculpture dubbed "The Ticking Time Bomb", seems to be a narrative of the apocalypse of 2012. The artist, who is unknown, seems to depict in the assemblage, his or her premonition of the end of the world. And their prediction was correct. Nearly a year after this sculpture was constructed, the gigantic sea urchin robot, created by the US military as a weapon of mass destruction, escaped from the bottom of the ocean and rampaged the helpless community of Portland, OR and continued its path of destruction across the globe.

This deceivingly simple lanscape is loaded with symbolism. Not only does the unnaturally pink foam core represent the fragility of the earth's crust, but the orange cones and barriers depict Oregonians futile attempt to stop the monsters rampage through the streets. The meticulously placed plastic animals suggest the domination of farm animals after 2012 and a reference to the class novel of that time period Animal Farm.

Much of the artist's skill is evident in this sculpture. Much attention was placed on the pyramidal composition of the landscape.The artists was also obviously aware of the contrast between the heaviness of the black sea- urchin ball-monster and the lightweight foam core. It is safe to say that this could be one of the most influential sculptures of the early 21st century.

-Kristen Petsche