Explore the Reception of this artwork, River Legend.
In his review for The Oregonian, Len Reed said the sculpture "seemed to offer relief, as if it were a jolt of reckless nature amid all the glass and concrete and metal. It seemed at once ancient and modern. It seemed to hold a secret." Furthermore, he said:River Legend may be decades old, but its energy is all new and very, very public. Whether the pleasure it produces is encoded in cells or the result of some mysterious learning doesn't really matter. The ancient rock soars. That's true even if its nifty fins are wood shims to prevent a crack from expanding. Somehow amid moving, storing, and re-siting, a segment of the columnar basalt let go and requires an injection of epoxy to hold. It wouldn't be crazy to think of the sculpture for now as a songbird with a leg splint. Such a small price for a new life.
The Oregonian basalt