"Some sculptures are dedicated to persons I admire, such as “Wedgie,” dedicated to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the beautiful and incredibly brave Muslim woman who stood up against the radical Islamist butchers who killed her colleague and put a fatwah on her. “Wedgie” also refers to the prank practice of adolescents, yanking up someone’s underwear to give them a “wedgie.” Hirsi Ali gave the murderous terrorist thugs a royal wedgie. The title also reinforces the overall shape of the stone, which is a wedge." -Jim Huntington on his website https://huntingtonsculpture.org/sculptor/
Wedgie was brought to Lincoln as part of a yearlong, outdoor exhibition at Densmore Park, organized by the Lincoln Partners for Public Art Development. The other pieces included in the exhibition were Sluice Scythe, Waving Not Drowning, Column for Liz, Imagine You Are Safe. At the end of the exhibition in 2018, Wedgie and Sluice Scythe were moved to 11th and "G" Streets. Huntington carves into a large piece of granite, creating smooth curves and flat spaces that contrast the natural faces of the stone. Huntington emphasizes man's hand in altering nature and the earth. The stone both manipulated and natural, contrasts with the greenery surrounding it.
About the Artist
Jim Huntington is an internationally known sculptor born in Elkhart, IN, in 1941. He has lived in LA, Boston, San Francisco, NYC and now lives and works in Coupland, Texas. His work in stone started in the mid-1970s, but switch to working exclusively in granite in 1978. Huntington creates his sculptures by drilling into granite breaking off part of the stone, then using diamond-edged tools to create the smooth surfaces and curves that contrast with the rough natural stone.
Additional Information
11th & "G" St.
Height: around 8 ft.
740 S. 11th St., Lincoln 68508 View Map
740 S. 11th St. , Lincoln 68508