Fremont Troll
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| Artist | Steve Badanes Will Martin Donna Walter Ross Whitehead |
|---|---|
| Year | 1990 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Dimensions | 5.5 m (18 ft) |
| Location | Seattle |
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| Owner | City of Seattle |
The Fremont Troll (also known as The Troll, or the Troll Under the Bridge) is a public sculpture in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington in the United States.
Description
The Troll is a mixed media colossal statue, located on N. 36th Street at Troll Avenue N., under the north end of the George Washington Memorial Bridge (also known as the Aurora Bridge). It is clutching an actual Volkswagen Beetle, as if it had just swiped it from the roadway above. The vehicle has a California license plate.[1] The Troll was sculpted by four local artists: Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter, and Ross Whitehead. He is interactive—visitors are encouraged to clamber on him or try to poke out his one good eye (a hubcap). The Troll is Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value). high, weighs Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value)., and is made of steel rebar, wire, and concrete.[2]
The segment of Aurora Avenue North under the bridge, running downhill from the Troll to North 34th Street was renamed "Troll Avenue" in its honor in 2005.[3] A caricatured replica of the Troll was entered in the Red Bull Soapbox Race (a soapbox derby) in Seattle in 2007.[4] The Seattle drugstore chain Bartell Drugs released a commemorative Fremont Troll Chia Pet in 2011 to celebrate the Troll's 21st birthday.[5]
History
The piece was the winner of a competition sponsored by the Fremont Arts Council in 1990, in part with the goal of rehabilitating the area under the bridge, which was becoming a dumping ground and haven for drug dealers. It was built later that same year. The idea of a troll living under a bridge is derived from the Scandinavian (Norwegian) fairytale Three Billy Goats Gruff.
Copyright
The artists have chosen to exercise their copyright to control commercial use of Troll images. All commercial use of The Troll's image must first have permission in writing from the artists.[6] Postcards, beer, and other products approved by the artists are commercially available, and use is free to non-profit organizations.[7]
See also
References
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External links
- Fremont Arts Council
- Artists Republic of Fremont
- Fremont Chamber of Commerce: The Fremont Troll
- Save Outdoor Sculpture Survey
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