DARK ELEGY

The sculptures by Suse Lowenstein depict the grief that overwhelmed the families of victims of Pan Am 103 in the instant they learned of this terrible tragedy on December 21, 1988. The terrorist bombing that claimed the lives of 259 on board the jetliner and 11 in their homes in Lockerbie, Scotland, had a profound effect on this campus and the Central New York region. Thirty-five students in the Syracuse University study abroad program, two from the State University College at Oswego, one from Colgate, and a young couple from Clay perished in the terrorist attack.

About the Exhibit

In an article in the January 30, 1994 New York Times, sculptor Suse Lowenstein told reporter Sophia M. Fischer what led her to create DARK ELEGY. It was a way to express her own pain, as she was one of the mothers who lost a child in the tragic bombing over Lockerbie. She began sculpting images of herself reacting to her son Alexander's death, and when mothers in a national support group, Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, heard what she was doing, several asked to participate.
The women posed nude or with little clothing so that Ms. Lowenstein could clearly view their body language. For some it was difficult, but necessary, because the artist felt that clothing the figures would have created differences where none existed. Black or white, rich or poor, all the women suffered loss and experienced the pain, anger and grief, she said.
Men have not been represented in the work only because none have approached her. "If someone wanted, I would include him."
Moving the sculptures to each exhibit site is not easy. The average weight of each statue is 225 pounds, requiring a 4-man crew, using a bucket loader to lift the individual pieces into a 46-foot tractor-trailer. Constructed of chicken wire, synthetic stone and fiberglass over a hollow welded steel armature, the sculptures are usually placed on grass. They are free standing, require no underground fastening, and are weather- resistant. The exhibit has been touring for three years and the sculptures remain outdoors year round.
"Each body has a specific language and responds differently," Ms. Lowenstein said. "That's why the figures are so varied in their expressions. The feeling over the loss of a child is so deep. It is a loss you cannot anticipate and which will always be there. The difficult part to deal with is knowing it will never change."

About the Artist and the Artist Statement

All the figures are larger than life. They are made of synthetic stone over a welded steel armature. When completed, DARK ELEGY will consist of more than 100 figures.
DARK ELEGY is dedicated to all victims of terrorism.