About this Sculpture
- Artist: Cynthia McKean
- Medium: Structured Steel
- Size: 7" x 1" x 10"
Family of Man IV
About the Artist
Cynthia McKean grew up in the wide-open landscapes of Montana and Wyoming, where vivid colors and dramatic weather helped shape her artistic sensibilities. After earning degrees in biology and architecture, she moved to Holland, Michigan, and found herself working in a welding shop. There, she discovered a deep connection to steel and began creating sculptures that are big and small, bold, colorful, and abstract.
Family of Man tells a powerful story about the cycle of life. The sculpture emerges from a single sheet of steel, representing Mother Earth. When a person is born, they separate from their mother, yet she always remains in their lives. From this unified form, individual figures seem to pull away, yet even in separation, they remain connected.
Each figure flows into the next, their inner and outer curves touching and shaping one another. It’s a reminder of how our lives are intertwined—how we shape and are shaped by the people around us. The final small form in the background can be seen as both an embryo and a tombstone—a symbol of life’s beginning and end.
The three largest figures represent elders—offering guidance, protection, and presence as younger generations move forward into the future.
Location
60 Griffith St., Saugatuck, MI 49453
Experience this Sculpture
Walk around the sculpture.
Why do you think the artist chose red?
What feelings does the color stir in you?
Notice that the sculpture has a front and a back, almost like a relief where forms are pulled from the steel and pushed forward into space. It’s a transformation from two dimensions to three dimensions.
Move closer to the sculpture.
The figures are larger than life. Standing next to them, the viewer might feel small. It is a reminder that each of us is just one part of a much larger whole. We each are a tiny part of something greater: a community, the world, our universe.
Step back.
Notice the round heads on each figure. They remind us of our shared humanity and that we are similar in many ways.
But each body is different, representing individuality and personal identity.
The negative spaces—the empty areas—are just as meaningful. They suggest where we came from and where we will return.
