Perhaps it goes without saying, but the first thought an audience member has when looking at Fallen Dreamer is, “It’s a really big head without a body.” This is true and rather obvious, but it also speaks to the devices used by the artist.

The most important aspect of Fallen Dreamer is the context in which it appears. This is not the original sculpture, nor is it the only copy of Fallen Dreamer. This particular version appears on the front steps outside the Sheldon Art Museum at the University of Nebraska. The fact that it appears on the steps is significant—it is a sculpture visitors just glance at on their way into the museum. Before I selected this sculpture for this assignment, that is what I always did. I believe it speaks to the intent of the sculpture. Nobody cares or pays much attention to the death of a dreamer, unless those dreams have been fulfilled. His body and dreams simply become a curiosity, something people pass by on the way to studying men (and women) whose dreams have been fulfilled.

Another interesting characteristic of Fallen Dreamer is the title. Not to sound racist, but through the facial features of the head makes it obvious he is black (I can’t say African-American; there is no guarantee he is either African or American). Despite not having any historical background provided about the figure, using a black subject causes an American viewer to remember the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. Of course, the title of Fallen Dreamer immediately calls to mind the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Through the title and use of racially specific facial features, the artist calls to mind a dark period of American history.

Although there are specific thoughts that come to mind of the American viewer, the artist also uses amplification through simplification. Other than the most basic facial features, there is nothing specific in the subject’s face. We are allowed to paint our own image on his face. We are allowed to think about our own dreams, and what would happen if we fell attempting to bring those dreams to fruition. We are also asked to wonder what he dreamed. Was he a dreamer in the sense of Hitler—a monster that shocked with world with his brutality? Or was he a dreamer in the vein of William Wilberforce—a statesman that dedicated his life to the freedom of others?

Of course there are many more technical elements to Fallen Dreamer. However, it is necessary to analyze the piece as a whole before breaking down the minutiae of it. The first three things a viewer notices when viewing this particular copy of Fallen Dreamer are the context it appears in, the title and how it relates to the subject’s race, and amplification through simplification.