Angel: Wings for Fra Laurenco de Gusmão

Sculptor Brian Meunier based his fanciful construction on a little-known account of a flying machine by Fra Laurenco de Gusmão, an eighteenth-century Brazilian monk.  Angel looks like it might be strapped to one’s back, its movements controlled by a gearshift and rudders.  Symmetrical, paddle-like projections mimic the movement of a birds flapping wings. 

Meunier never intended anyone to "use" his sculpture.  As an artist, he interprets flight as a metaphor for human aspiration, which frees us from our physical and metaphysical limitations.  Angel not only honors Fra de Gusmão, but also acknowledges all ingenious dreamers who envision and invent the future.

Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Convention Center